Navi Mumbai: Builder cheats 15 flat buyers of Rs 2.8 crore, booked

The Economic Offences Wing (unit-1) of the crime branch filed an FIR at Vashi police station on Tuesday against the proprietor of a Vashi-based construction firm for cheating, criminal breach of trust and under provisions of MOFA (MaharashtraOwnership Flats Act). Seema Kalel, the complainant, had booked a flat along with her husband in a residential project in Taloja in 2011. Kalel has accused that the builder, N K Bhupeshbabu, did not complete the project for seven years despite promising to give possession in 2015. As per the FIR, Babu has cheated 15 home buyers of Rs 2.83 crore. “Since 2013, I have been paying Rs 17,000 every month as EMI for the home loan. Due to the delay, I asked the builder to cancel the booking and repay my money but the proprietor refused. Hence, I approached the EOW and lodged a complaint in March 2018. Later, 14 other home buyers approached EOW alleging that they too have been cheated by Bhupeshbabu,” Kalel said. As per the FIR, the cost of the flat was finalized at Rs 20.95 lakh and the registration was done at Panvel sub-registrar’s office. Kalel has claimed that since 2011 Rs 19.90 lakh, around 95% of the flat’s cost, has been transferred from her loan account to Bhupeshbabu’s Enkay Castle Pvt Ltd.