NEW DELHI: A gang allegedly sold a non-existent luxury apartment at DLF Camellias in Gurgaon for Rs 12 crore by forging bank auction documents. Police said the wider syndicate might have cheated multiple victims of over Rs 200 crore across several states.The case was uncovered when a complaint was received on June 13, alleging cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The complainant was shown forged auction documents for the said premium apartment and was told that the property was already bought by the firm and could be immediately transferred, police said.
The complainant transferred Rs 12 crore through RTGS and demand drafts between Aug and Oct last year. Subsequent verification by the bank revealed that all documents, including sale certificates, covering letters, and auction receipts, were forged, and no such auction ever took place.“Police traced the money to accounts linked to a finance and licensing company operated by prime accused Mohit Gogia. The bank analysis revealed that the funds were quickly routed through multiple accounts to conceal the trail. Several beneficiaries and shell firms have since been identified, and liens have been placed on suspected bank accounts. Two cars bought using the cheated amount were also seized,” DCP (crime) Aditya Gautam said. Police said the racket followed a consistent modus operandi: targets were lured with offers of luxury properties at prices far below market rates, supported by forged mortgage and auction documents promising immediate possession. The money was then layered through a network of accounts and rotated for profit, often through Babaji Finance, operated by absconding accused Ram Singh alias Babaji.Gogia (38), a resident of Delhi, was arrested on Nov 22 while allegedly attempting to flee from Mumbai towards Uttarakhand. He was nabbed near Doiwala on the Rishikesh-Dehradun road. He told police about several associates.Four more accused were arrested subsequently: Vishal Malhotra and Sachin Gulati, who allegedly allowed their bank accounts to be used for laundering the cheated money; Abhinav Pathak, who allegedly introduced the complainant to Gogia and facilitated the deal; and Bharat Chhabra, who allegedly assisted in preparing forged documents.Police said Gogia had a long criminal history, with at least 16 cases registered against him across Delhi, Punjab, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Chandigarh, largely involving cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.Investigators believe the syndicate carried out similar frauds involving luxury properties at locations, including Ambience Mall and other prime areas in Delhi-NCR. The crime branch is trying to arrest the remaining accused, including Babaji, recover the cheated funds and identify more victims linked to the multi-state fraud network.
