Mumbai Police's EOW arrests builder Lalit Tekchandani in cheating case

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City-based builder Lalit Tekchandani has been arrested by the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with a cheating and forgery case related to several home buyers, according to an official statement on Wednesday, stated a PTI report.

According to the report, the arrest follows the EOW's extensive investigation into claims of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust against Tekchandani and others. Last week, searches were performed at four locations, including Tekchandani's office and apartment, resulting in his detention after questioning.

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The case began with a First Information Report (FIR) submitted earlier this month at the Chembur police station. The complainant claimed to have deposited Rs 36 lakh in Tekchandani's building project in Taloja, Navi Mumbai, with the assurance that it would be completed in 2017. However, the building was abruptly suspended in 2016, leaving many flat buyers without the promised residences or refunds, the report added.

Tekchandani, his wife, and Supreme Constructions' directors, among others, were charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 420 (cheating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust).

In a separate FIR registered at the Taloja police station in Navi Mumbai, it was alleged that 160 home buyers were collectively defrauded of Rs 44 crore in Tekchandani's housing project at Kharghar. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the extent of the fraudulent activities and provide justice to the affected home buyers, stated the PTI report.

According to the mid-day report dated January 17, the FIR registered against Tekchandani in Chembur, the complainant Hira Jagwani had alleged that he was informed about the Taloja project by his acquaintance and had invested the money after visiting the site. Similarly, Jeevat Mool Chand Manglani had paid Tekchandani Rs 32 lakh. The two were collectively cheated of Rs 73 lakh. Meanwhile, the FIR at Taloja was registered based on a complaint by one Ganesh Bist who claimed he was defrauded of Rs 31 lakh. Bist told mid-day that they were told by Tekchandani that the construction had stopped because the landowners had filed a case against them.

The cops had previously said that Lalit Tekchandani was unreachable since a case had been filed against him and that they had formed teams to trace him.

With PTI inputs