Flat promise: ATS officer among 5 held for duping senior citizen

A sub-inspector of Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) was among the five people arrested for cheating a Andheri-based senior citizen of Rs45 lakh by promising him a flat under the chief minister’s quota. The complainant, Shettiyar Irani, 60, is a private contractor and lives in Andheri (East) with his wife and 33-year-old handicap son.

The arrested are Rajesh Upadhyay, a classmate of Irani who introduced him to the other accused. Sanjay Mehta runs a private office in Andheri and made forged documents, while the third accused, Anil Purohit, has a xerox centre and helped in forging the letter.

Jagjeet Singh Ashra threatened Irani if he approached the police. The fifth accused, Dilip Bhosle, is an ATS officer posted at the Nagpada unit. Around a year ago, Upadhyay told Irani that his son could get a flat under the reservation scheme for the handicap in chief minister’s quota. “Upadhyay introduced Irani to the other accused in Mehta’s office at Andheri (East) while Bhosle was introduced to him as a retired policeman who had worked in the security team of the chief minister,” said a police officer.“From January 2013 till March Irani gave Rs45 lakh to the accused in installments.

The total deal was fixed at Rs60 lakh. They gave Irani a forged allotment letter, printing a fake address of a posh society in Andheri (West),” said a police officer. When the accused started demanding more money. When Irani asked them about the flat’s possession, they started giving excuses,” added officer. Irani suspected foul play and went to the collector’s office on May 29 and came to know that he had been cheated.

The police arrested the accused after he lodged a complaint. “All five accused have been remanded to police custody,” said officer of the Meghwadi police station.