Police in Mumbai have booked a Borivali man for allegedly defrauding a retired sub-inspector’s 58-year-old widow after promising to get her a flat of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority at a 10 per cent discount under the “minister quota”.
The Kandivali-based woman’s husband, who retired in 2017, died of liver cancer in March 2024. During his treatment at a Borivali hospital, the woman came in contact with Kiran Mhadik, alias Bunty, who developed a friendship with her family and claimed to know people who have good influence in the Mantralaya.
As per the FIR, after the demise of the police officer, Mhadik claimed that he had a good relationship with a politically well-connected man, Mandar Borkar, who he said was close to the MHADA chief and could help her get a flat in Chikuwadi, Borivali (West), at a 10 per cent discount.
Mhadik claimed the flat would cost her Rs 70 lakh. As she told him that she didn’t have that much money, Mhadik asked her to pay at least Rs 20 lakh, with the rest of the amount to be arranged through a loan, the police said.
But later, giving some other reason, Mhadik sought more money and she paid around Rs 50 lakh, but he failed to fulfil his promise and never gave her a flat, the police complaint states.
The woman paid most of the amount to Mhadik in cash after withdrawing it from ATMs. She has submitted details of these ATM transactions in her complaint. She said she also sold her jewellery to pay Mhadik.
The woman filed the complaint on Tuesday and the Charkop police booked Mhadik under relevant Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita sections for cheating and criminal breach of trust. They are investigating the case further, said an officer.
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