Owners allegedly received Rs 31 lakh, but did not register sale, hand over possession

A 68-year-old woman from Dhanori has alleged that she was cheated of over Rs.31 lakh in a housing fraud involving booking a flat at an under-construction project in Lohgaon.

Based on her complaint, the Lohgaon police have registered a case against three Pune-based individuals linked to the project.
According to police officials, the complainant, Anita Kumar Mujamdar, a homemaker residing at Lily Agency Meadows in Dhanori, had booked a flat in April 2024 at the Divine Garden construction site located at Survey No. 286/2 in Lohgaon. She alleged that the accused - Rakesh Ramchandra Agarwal, Rajendra Ramchandra Agarwal, and Anil Ramkisan Agarwal of Shriram Associate - collected a total amount of Rs 31,26,400 from her under the pretext of selling Flat No. B2/701 to her.
The complaint states that Rakesh Agarwal, who claimed to be owner of the flat, accepted Rs.30,21,400 directly into his account. Additionally, Rs1,05,000 was transferred from the account of the firm Shriram Associate. However, despite receiving the payments, the accused neither completed the registration process nor handed over possession of the flat.
The police said the complainant was repeatedly assured that the flat would be delivered after completion of certain formalities. However, over time, it became evident that the construction work at the site had stalled. The situation reportedly worsened due to internal disputes among the builders, leaving the project incomplete and the complainant without either the flat or a refund.
Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Shinde from Lohgaon Police Station confirmed that a case was registered on April 21, 2026. "After booking the flat in 2024, the complainant paid both the booking and registration-related amounts. The accused assured her of possession, but the construction remains incomplete. There are disputes among the builders themselves, and neither the money has been returned nor the flat handed over," Shinde said.
API Shinde added, "Efforts are underway to trace the financial transactions and verify the role of each accused in the alleged fraud. Notices are likely to be issued soon, and further legal action will follow based on the findings of the investigation."
The case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 318(2), 318(4), 314, 316(2), and 3(5), which pertain to cheating, criminal breach of trust, and related offences.