Man deceived in real estate fraud by four elderly persons

KOCHI: The police have launched a probe into a real estate fraud in the city in which a person was duped of over Rs 2 crore by a few persons who allegedly fabricated documents of ten cents of land in the heart of the city at TD Road. They convinced him that he would be given half share of the land and two flats if he associated with them in a venture for constructing a five-floor apartment building.

The case was registered by the Central police based on a complaint lodged by Gopakumar L, 57, of Warriam road, Kochi city. As per the FIR, the police booked four senior citizens ­— Lakshmi Menon, 69, B U Kumar, 62, Kalyani Kumar, 67, and Govindan Kutty Menon, 65 — in connection with the incident. While the three others belong to Kochi, Govindan Kutty is a resident of Bengaluru.

The police said the alleged fraud took place in 2017 after the accused convinced the complainant that 10.5 cents of land at TD Road belonged to them and he would be given two apartments in the five-storey apartment building which they were constructing in the land if he associated with them in a join venture for the construction. The accused also promised half of the land to the complainant.

“The complainant said the accused collected Rs 2.10 crore from him and they also forged ownership documents of the property to cheat him. Though the construction was completed and the ground floor of  the apartment building was given to him, he could not sell it as the accused had done division of property by fabricating the documents,” said a police officer.