Broker allegedly took the money as a token amount and agreed to not show a South Mumbai flat she had liked to other prospective buyers, but later he refused to return it
The lawyer's wife was looking for a sea-facing flat at Napeansea road. Pic/Shadab Khan
The Gamdevi police have booked a real estate broker for allegedly not returning Rs 40 lakh taken from the wife of a prominent lawyer. The accused allegedly took the money on the pretext of not showing a flat she had liked to other prospective buyers, and then didn't return it though the deal didn't work out. The police are yet to arrest him.
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What happened
According to a complaint filed by Ashok Mirchandani, a real estate broker, he knows Pankaj Gulati, a real estate agent, for the past 10 years. Mirchandani told the police in his statement that in February 2020, his niece Haseena Jethmalani, told him she was looking for a sea-facing flat at Napean Sea Road, Breach Candy. He showed her some flats which she did not like. He then got to know that Gulati had a flat for sale, which he showed Haseena and she liked.
Mirchandani and Gulati waited for Haseena's husband, laywer Mahesh Jethmalani, who was out to town, to return to Mumbai. Mirchandani's statement added that they met him in his office on March 14 where Gulati told Jethmalani the final cost of the flat was R10 crore. Jethmalani asked for the flat's original documents, which were provided by Gulati.
Later, Mirchandani said in his statement, that Haseena wanted to travel out of the city and handed him R50 lakh for safe keeping. "On March 22, Gulati came to my place and said that though Jethmalani wished to buy the flat, no financial transaction was done. To ensure that he should not show the flat to other buyers, Gulati demanded some token money. He assured me if deal doesn't work out, he would return that amount, R40 lakh," Mirchandani said in his statement. Mirchandani gave Gulati R40 lakh from the sum Haseena had given him, which he was supposed to return within a week if the deal was not finalised, the statement added.
Police complaint filed
According to the police complaint, on May 2 Haseena asked Mirchandani for the money and was told he had given some of it to Gulati. Mirchandani then asked Gulati to return the money which he allegedly refused. Mahesh Jethmalani, through Mirchandani, returned the original documents of the flat and asked Gulati to return the money, but still he did not return it. Mirchandani added that he tried to get in touch with Gulati for the money, but he allegedly stopped communicating with him.
Mirchandani then wrote to Gamdevi police and registered a complaint against Pankaj Gulati on August 21 (a copy is with mid-day). An offence has been registered in Gamdevi police station against Gulati under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating).
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"We have registered an offence against one person in the matter. We will begin investigation and eventually take a call on arrest," said Rajendra Mohite, senior inspector, Gamdevi police station.
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