Mumbai Police have arrested a woman for allegedly orchestrating a sophisticated real estate fraud, cheating an investor of a staggering Rs 25 lakh under the false promise of securing a cheap flat under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) scheme. The accused, identified as Bhakti Ashkay Khandarkar (42), was already lodged in the Byculla women's jail in connection with a similar cheating case when the new charges came to light.
The Elusive Promise of a Cheap Home
The victim, a resident of Sion, was actively searching for an affordable house when he was introduced to the late Khandu Baban Kashid and his son, Ganesh Kashid, who also lives in Sion Koliwada. The duo gained the victim's trust and showed him several flats in MHADA complexes located in Wadala and Worli. The investor eventually expressed interest in a one-room kitchen flat situated in a MHADA building near the Century Mill compound in Worli.
Capitalizing on this interest, the Kashids confidently claimed they had the right "setting" to get a flat allotted through the MHADA quota. They proceeded to collect a total of Rs 15.7 lakh from the victim through a combination of cash, cheque, and online money transfers.
Deepening the Fraud: New Accomplices and More Money
In 2023, the plot thickened. The Kashids informed the victim that his file had progressed for the allotment but required an additional payment of a few lakhs. It was at this stage that they introduced him to Bhakti Khandarkar and another accomplice, Yuvraj Bhakte. This new pair further extracted an additional Rs 10 lakh from the hopeful investor. Despite the repeated payments, neither the flat's possession nor any official allotment papers materialized.
Police Investigation and Arrest
After the victim approached the police, investigators began meticulously following the financial trail. Their probe led them to a bank account held by Bhakti Khandarkar, which had received a significant transfer of Rs 9 lakh linked to the scam. When police teams went to locate her, they discovered she was already in judicial custody, arrested by the DB Marg police in a separate and unrelated cheating case.
The investigating team then moved the court to obtain a production warrant for Khandarkar. Following the legal process, she was formally arrested in this fresh case, adding to her legal troubles. The search for her alleged accomplices, including Yuvraj Bhakte, is ongoing.
This case highlights the risks associated with off-the-book deals and promises of "special access" to government housing schemes. Authorities advise citizens to only conduct transactions through official MHADA channels and verify all claims directly with the concerned authorities to avoid falling prey to such elaborate scams.
