December 25, 2024: In a shocking case of fraud, a man posing as a Gujarat government officer was arrested on Tuesday for cheating over 250 people out of more than Rs 3 crore. The accused, identified as 34-year-old Viramsinh, had been impersonating an officer at the Gujarat Secretariat and promising affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to unsuspecting homebuyers.
The arrest followed a complaint from a woman, a hair salon owner, who alleged that Viramsinh had deceived her out of Rs 18.45 lakh in exchange for a cheap flat under PMAY. The woman claimed that after two years, not only had the promised flat never materialized, but the money was also never refunded.
Upon investigation, the police uncovered that Viramsinh had defrauded more than 250 individuals in Ahmedabad since 2022. His method involved luring people with offers of cheap houses and offices under the government’s housing scheme, collecting payments through Google Pay, cash, and cheques. The total amount swindled by the accused is believed to exceed Rs 3 crore.
"During our investigation, we discovered that Viramsinh targeted over 250 victims, collecting substantial sums for false housing promises. He operated with the help of accomplices, some of whom received up to Rs 50 lakh as commission," said Ahmedabad's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Balram Meena.
Viramsinh used a series of deceptive tactics to gain the trust of his victims. He handed out fake government identity cards, showing himself as an official in the Gujarat government, and offered flats for as low as Rs 30,000. For shops under PMAY, he charged Rs 50,000. Once he had collected money, he would falsely assure customers that their names had been selected in a lucky draw for flats in the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority's (AUDA) upcoming project in Science City. He further tricked victims by charging them Rs 1.4 to 1.6 lakh for fake registries.
To avoid arousing suspicion, Viramsinh even staged visits to the sub-registrar’s office. He convinced his victims to fill out fake documents by showing them empty time slots on the Garvi Gujarat portal, where they believed their houses were being officially registered.
The police have filed charges against Viramsinh under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including impersonation of a public servant, criminal breach of trust, cheating, and forgery. Authorities are also investigating around 8 to 10 of his alleged accomplices, some of whom may face charges for their involvement.
Viramsinh's arrest brings an end to a widespread scam that exploited the hopes of many seeking affordable housing. Investigations are ongoing as the police continue to track down all individuals involved in the scheme.