In a major crackdown on a sophisticated real estate fraud network, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested five individuals for allegedly duping a woman of a staggering Rs 12.04 crore by promising her a premium apartment in Gurgaon's upscale DLF Camellias society at nearly half the market price. The accused, operating across multiple states, are suspected of cheating people of a total exceeding Rs 200 crore using meticulously forged bank auction documents.
The Bait of a Luxury Dream at a Bargain Price
The case came to light when a woman, searching for a house in a posh Gurgaon locality in August 2024, found DLF Camellias beyond her budget. She was then introduced to Abhinav Pathak, a medicine distributor, who claimed to have contacts that could secure her a flat in the coveted society for Rs 12.04 crore—a price significantly lower than the prevailing market rate. Pathak spun a tale of having purchased the property through a bank auction, which typically sells assets at lower rates to recover bad loans, and offered to transfer it to her.
To build credibility, representatives from a firm called M/s MG Leasing & Finance presented the victim with a suite of forged documents. DCP (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam stated that these included fake sale certificates, covering letters, and auction receipts, all purportedly issued by the State Bank of India. Convinced by the paperwork, the woman transferred the entire sum of Rs 12.04 crore through RTGS and demand drafts between August and October 2024.
The Unraveling of the Scam and the Pan-India Manhunt
The illusion shattered when the bank later confirmed that every single document was fabricated and no such flat was available for transfer. The victim filed a formal complaint on June 13, 2025, prompting the Crime Branch's Inter State Cell to launch an investigation. Following the money trail, police discovered the funds were credited to an account of a proprietorship firm owned by Mohit Gogia.
An extensive search operation was conducted across Delhi-NCR, Bhopal, and Mumbai, but the accused had gone underground. The breakthrough came through technical surveillance and manual intelligence. On November 22, 2025, a specialized team tracked Gogia while he was fleeing from Mumbai towards Uttarakhand and apprehended him near Doiwala on the Rishikesh-Dehradun road.
The Network of Fraud and Nationwide Cheating
Gogia's interrogation led to the arrest of four more accomplices, revealing a well-oiled machinery of deception. The roles within the syndicate were clearly defined:
- Vishal Malhotra (42), a property dealer, opened a current account with HDFC Bank to receive and layer the fraudulent funds, withdrawing large sums to pass on to another key accused, Ram Singh alias Babaji, for a commission.
- Sachin Gulati (40), who has a criminal history, allowed his IDFC First Bank account to be used for rotating the illicit money.
- Abhinav Pathak (35), the initial point of contact, facilitated the deal and received a portion of the proceeds.
- Bharat Chhabra (33) acted as the technical expert, preparing the forged documents on his laptop.
The police explained that Gogia would identify disputed, mortgaged, or bogus properties. Chhabra would then create fake title documents. The cheated money was layered through numerous bank accounts and shell firms to conceal its origin before eventually flowing to Ram Singh's Babaji Finance, where it was circulated as high-interest loans. Gogia retained 40% of the profits, while Ram Singh kept 60%.
Police records indicate that Mohit Gogia is wanted in 16 similar cases across Delhi, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa since 2019, all involving fraud with forged mortgage and auction papers. The scale of the operation is massive, with the group having duped people in multiple states of over Rs 200 crore.
While the five key accused are in custody, the hunt continues for others, including the alleged mastermind Ram Singh alias Babaji. The police have seized two cars purchased with the scam money and used by Ram Singh. Liens have been placed on linked bank accounts, and investigators are working to identify more beneficiaries in this nationwide fraud network. DCP Gautam summarized the modus operandi, stating the accused lured victims with the promise of premium properties at extremely low rates, backed by forged documents, fake allotment letters, and bogus registration drafts.
