The Entrustment Document Fraud (EDF) wing of the City police busted a gang that cheated close to 100 house owners and lessees in southern parts of the city. They defrauded more than ₹2 crore from several persons in Tambaram and surrounding areas on the pretext of connecting house owners, tenants and lessees, the police said.
According to the police, the fraudsters, in the guise of real estate agents, would claim to help house owners or owners of any property. Those who entrusted their property dealings with the ‘agents’ would be elderly persons or those living overseas, or just too busy to involve themselves in the transaction. The fraudsters would enter into agreements with such property owners after promising regular rental income.
Later, on behalf of the owners, they would lease out properties to others and collect lease amount from them, but won’t pay the rent to the owners as per agreements. They also would not return the lease amount when the lessees wanted to vacate the premises. The racket was going on in East Tambaram, Selaiyur, Madipakkam, Nanmangalam, Pammal, Puzhuthivakkam and other places, the police said.
Over 90 victims have complained to City Police Commissioner Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal through video call facility during public redressal grievance meeting. On instructions of the Commissioner, the EDF wing took up investigation.
When police team went to nab the fraudsters, they locked the office functioning under the name of Sunshine Property Developers on Anthony Street, East Tambaram and absconded. After an intensive search, police arrested M.Praksh, 27, of Erode district, V.Gayathri, 32, and her husband R.Vignesh, 34, of Ayodhyapatinam, Salem district. They were remanded in judicial custody.
