In a shocking case of real estate deception, the Sonegaon police station in Nagpur has registered a formal case against five individuals. They stand accused of orchestrating a sophisticated property fraud, allegedly cheating a 69-year-old man out of a staggering sum of Rs 2 crore.
The Victim's Discovery and The Plot
The complainant, Amol Joshi, a resident of Bajaj Nagar, is the rightful owner of a plot measuring 384.80 square meters in the Somalwada area. Joshi had originally purchased this land from the Engineers Coop Society back in 2002. The fraud came to light only when Joshi decided to sell the property recently. To his utter dismay, he found that the official property records listed someone else as the owner, prompting him to approach the police.
Investigations launched by the Sonegaon police unearthed a well-planned conspiracy. The probe revealed that between March and May 2025, the accused allegedly joined forces to illegally transfer and sell Joshi's valuable plot. The identified accused are Mehul Dhuwavia, Sunil Jivatode, Kunal Yelane, Kartik Mankar, and Mohammad Salim Khan.
Modus Operandi: Impersonation and Forgery
The gang's method was brazen and involved multiple criminal acts. Police state that the accused first conspired to impersonate the actual owner, Amol Joshi. Using this false identity, they then proceeded to create and submit forged documents related to the property. These fake papers were crucial in executing a sale deed, ultimately transferring the plot to an unsuspecting buyer who was unaware of the ongoing fraud.
This elaborate scheme allowed the accused to bypass legal safeguards and illicitly complete a transaction for a property they did not own, thereby defrauding the genuine owner of its market value.
Legal Action and Charges Filed
Following Joshi's complaint and the subsequent investigation, the Sonegaon police have taken swift legal action. A formal case has been registered against the five accused. The police have invoked relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to address the severity of the crimes committed.
The charges pressed include:
- Cheating
- Impersonation
- Forgery of valuable security and documents
- Criminal conspiracy
This case highlights the persistent risks in property transactions and underscores the importance of thorough due diligence. It also serves as a stern warning from Nagpur police against such organized financial crimes targeting citizens, especially senior citizens.
