The Kolathur police have apprehended a group of five individuals for allegedly orchestrating a land scam, in which they sold a property to a buyer without the knowledge or consent of the actual landowner.
According to police sources, the incident dates back to 2022, when Nandakumar (44), a resident of Periyar Nagar, was in search of a land parcel. He came across a listing on social media posted by Ramesh Kumar, who presented himself as a real estate broker. Ramesh directed Nandakumar to another agent, Murali, who was in possession of the property documents for a 1,200 sq.ft. plot located in Poompuhar Nagar, Kolathur.
Upon inspection, Nandakumar verified the documents and found that the land was registered in the name of one Dileep Kumar, who had supposedly granted power of attorney to a man named Venkatesan for the purpose of selling the property.
Negotiations ensued, and Venkatesan agreed to sell the property for ₹92 lakh, in the presence of an individual claiming to be Dileep Kumar. A sale deed was executed, and the transaction was officially registered in September 2022 at the Sembium Sub-Registrar Office, transferring the property to Nandakumar’s name.
However, just a month later, Nandakumar received a notification from the Sub-Registrar’s office stating that the registration had been revoked, as the person who posed as Dileep Kumar was found to be an impostor. The documents used in the sale were determined to be forged, prompting Nandakumar to approach the police with a complaint alleging fraud and seeking justice for the ₹92 lakh he lost.
Following an investigation, Kolathur police registered a case and arrested five suspects involved in the fraud. Those taken into custody include Venkatesan (54) from Thirunindravur, Kalilur Rahaman (50) from West Ambattur, Sayid Salahuddin (40) from Manali New Town, Abdul Razaq (73) from Erukkanchery, Abubucker (51) from Kodungaiyur, All five have been booked for their roles in the land fraud, which involved impersonation, document forgery, and cheating.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.