Mumbai: A shocking case of rental fraud has come to light in Bhandup, where a retired police officer’s wife was allegedly duped through a forged Leave and Licence agreement. The accused, under the pretext of renting a flat, not only occupied the property but also manipulated documents and created fake bank accounts in the victim's name to carry out the fraud.
Case Registered Under BNS And IT Act
The Bhandup police have registered a case against one Rajkumar, the holder of a bank account used in the transaction, along with three unidentified individuals under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Victim Identified As Navi Mumbai Resident
According to the police, the complainant, 61-year-old Jayanthirani Ramachandran, resides in Sector 18, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, with her husband, a retired police officer and their son Arun Selvan. The flat in question, located in Sai Srishti Co-operative Housing Society on LBS Road, Bhandup, was owned by her father and transferred to her name in 2005.
Deal Struck With Rajeshkumar Vig
In 2024, a man named Rajeshkumar Vig approached Jayanthirani, expressing interest in renting the flat. After initial discussions, he paid Rs 10,000 in cash as a token amount and later agreed on a three-year deal with an annual rent increase clause. The terms included a Rs 1.5 lakh deposit and Rs 34,000 monthly rent, with a 10% annual increment.
Agreement Facilitated By Agents
Subsequently, a man named Mukesh Vohra facilitated the drafting and signing of the Leave and Licence agreement. Biometric verification was also completed. The agreement was formalized between Jayanthirani and Avinash Kaur Vig, who moved into the flat with her family on October 6, 2024.
Suspicious Transfer Of ₹10 Lakh Reported
Prior to finalizing the agreement, Jayanthirani received Rs 10 lakh into her Indian Bank account (Kharghar branch) in Navi Mumbai. Later, Avinash Kaur claimed Rs 5 lakh was mistakenly transferred and requested a refund. Jayanthirani returned Rs 4.36 lakh (after deducting building facility charges) to an Axis Bank account in Worli held by Rajkumar.
Fraud Discovered After Water Leakage Complaint
However, in August 2025, a complaint was raised by residents in the lower floor regarding water leakage from the flat. When Jayanthirani approached the current occupant, she discovered that the flat had allegedly been leased under a forged agreement. The fraudulent contract stated that the property was given on a heavy deposit basis for three years, with a payment of Rs 22 lakh an amount she never received.
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Fake Bank Account And Email ID Created
Further investigation revealed that the accused, including Avinash Kaur, had forged documents with the help of agents Rupa Vyas and Mukesh Vohra. They also opened a fake bank account under the name Jayanthirani R. Enterprises, similar to the complainant’s, and created a fake email ID in her name to carry out the deception.
A case has been registered and investigations are ongoing to trace and arrest the accused.
