Mumbai: Case registered against builder and five others for defrauding 35 people of INR 21 crores

A case has been registered at the Tilak Nagar police station against five persons including Midas Builders for allegedly defrauding 35 people of a housing project in Chembur to the tune of INR 21.23 lakh without giving possession of the house. It is alleged that the complainant did not get possession of the flat for the last 11 years and this case is likely to be referred to the Economic Offences Branch (EOW).

The Tilak Nagar police registered a case against Messrs Midas Builders, Messrs Bhakti Buildwell, Naveen Ramji Kothari, Irene Edwin DiMello and Edwin Jerry DiMello on Wednesday. A case has been registered under sections 409, 420, 120 (b) of the Indian Penal Code as well as sections 5, 8 and 13 of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act (MOFA). Gul Shyamdas Totlani (53), a tax consultant living in Thane area, has complained about this. In order to have a house in Mumbai, Totlani had registered a flat at Bhakti Meadows in Chembur in 2013. Along with him, 34 other people had bought flats there.

But after not getting possession of the flat for 11 years, he complained to Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) in this matter. Also created Midas Bhakti Meadows Allotments Association and started follow up through that. They invested in Chembur's Midas Bhakti Meadows in 2013 with Irene Edwin DiMello of Messrs Midas Builders and Navin Ramji Kothari of Messrs Bhakti Buildwell.

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As planned in 2013, he said that he would get possession of the house in three years in the building for sale. He was given custody in 2014. So everyone believed in the project. After investing nearly 40 lakh 95 thousand rupees, the purchase was also registered in 2017.

Between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2024, 35 people including him invested 21 crore, 23 lakh 62 thousand 300 rupees. All these were also registered. However, the possession of the flats was not actually obtained. They have alleged that certain members of the complainant's association cheated by selling the flats without the necessary certificate for constructing the tenth floor of the building Midas Bhakti Meadows. Accordingly, the police have registered a case in this matter.