Two arrested for creating fake MHADA website, duping housing lottery hopefuls

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Crime Branch’s cyber police arrested two men on Saturday for allegedly creating a fake MHADA (Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority) portal and promising houses to gullible people in order to cheat them. The accused also uploaded a payment link on the fake website, trapping around 15 persons. The total quantum of the fraud is suspected to be over ₹50 lakh currently but could escalate, according to the police.

The arrested accused are identified as Kalpesh Sevak, who created the fake website and Amol Patel, who posed as a MHADA officer. The case was registered in BKC police station last week based on a complaint by MHADA officials after they found that a man was duped of ₹50,000 and several others too lost money.

Every year, MHADA releases a list of properties in the MHADA housing lottery, where houses are made available at discounted rates. A week ago, it put up details of the 2024 lottery on its website. Subsequently, the accused created a fake website which resembled MHADA’s official website.

The fake website was created by Kalpesh Sevak, who was arrested by the crime branch, said crime branch DCP Datta Nalawade. Sevak has a previous case of cheating registered against him in Bhoiwada police station in 2015, where he had similarly duped people by telling them he would provide flats. After questioning Sevak, the police arrested accused Amol Patel, who posed as a MHADA officer. Both were arrested and produced in court. They have been remanded to police custody till August 24.

According to the police, many others too fell prey to the fake MHADA website and paid money through the link on it. The accused had another modus operandi: an “agent” would approach people who wanted to buy a MHADA flat at a lower price and lead them to Amol Patel who posed as a MHADA official and promised them a flat through the MHADA lottery, said a crime branch official. “The investigation is on and it appears that many more are involved in the scam,” he said.