Chankheda businessman loses Rs 30L in property auction scam

Ahmedabad: A businessman from Chandkheda lodged a complaint at Sabarmati police station on Thursday, stating he was defrauded of Rs 30 lakh in a property auction scam.
Gangaji Vanzara, 49, owns a business of supplying clay and sand. He was introduced to Dilip Mallah roughly a year ago through P V Parmar, a retired bank manager.
In Nov 2023, Mallah, claiming to represent Finmend Capital India Pvt. Ltd., a firm dealing in auctioned bank properties, approached Vanzara about a 444 sq m plot in the Sabarmati area, being auctioned by Bank of Baroda. Mallah offered assistance in acquiring the plot and stated that his partner, Chirag Parekh, would place the bid on Vanzara's behalf due to issues with his auction token.
Vanzara, believing their claims, provided Rs 30 lakh through RTGS and Rs 20 lakh in cash for the purchase of the land. He subsequently found that Parekh had already purchased the plot and sold it to another party.
Upon asking for a refund, Mallah issued three cheques amounting to Rs 20 lakh, which were successfully encashed. Subsequently, Mallah provided another Rs 20 lakh cheque but asked to return it, promising cash payment, which never materialised.
Vanzara told police that his outstanding Rs 30 lakh remained unpaid despite numerous requests. Vanzara contended that Mallah and Parekh deliberately deceived him and misappropriated the funds. Sabarmati police have initiated an investigation after recording a case of cheating and breach of trust.