However, this was possible only because RTI activist Ravindra Chandrakant Chiplunkar intervened and tried to find out why the cops let him go scot-free even though three of his accomplices were arrested in May last year
Anwar Lakdawala
The Charkop police arrested real estate developer Anwar Lakdawala on Thursday, almost after a year of him cheating eight people of Rs 1.6 crore, on the pretext of selling flats to them under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). However, this was possible only because RTI activist Ravindra Chandrakant Chiplunkar intervened and tried to find out why the cops let him go scot-free even though three of his accomplices were arrested in May last year.
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Pramod Dhavare, senior inspector, said, "He has been arrested for allegedly cheating eight people of '20 lakh each. Lakdawala is the fourth to be arrested. More arrests will follow."
Chiplunkar said, "Lakdawala has been working on his Rs 500 crore SRA project at Barwekar Nagar in Kandivali-Charkop area under the nose of the Charkop police. His office staffers cheated many people and took payments from them through cheques. Though the cheques had been encashed in Lakdawala's account, the victims never got the flats. When they realised that the builder had duped them, they filed a complaint in the matter."
"The police would not have arrested Lakdawala had I not approached senior officers to know why no action was being taken against him," added Chiplunkar, who had approached the Mantralaya. After that the authorities concerned asked the Charkop cops to provide details regarding the status of the case by October 20.
"Lakdawala had applied for anticipatory bail in a lower court as well as the high court. But his pleas were rejected. After receiving the Mantralaya's letter, which asked them to state clearly why they had not arrested Lakdawala, the cops asked the builder to appear before Dindoshi court and hire a good lawyer to fight the case. However, the court then asked the cops to arrest him. Later, he was sent to judicial custody," said Chiplunkar.
Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Man held for cheating businessman of Rs 15 lakh in Charkop
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