EOW lands two more cases of homebuyers being cheated under fake DDA land pooling schemes

new delhi: With no end in sight for fraudsters duping unsuspecting homebuyers by enticing them with attractive home offers under "DDA land pooling policies", the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police has now registered cases against two more "societies" who had allegedly duped many by alluring them with cheap home prices under a purported DDA land pooling scheme.

While one of the societies booked recently was operating as "Central Secretariat Services Officers Society" (CSSOS), the other was found to be operating as MTNL Employees House Welfare Society. In fact, according to the complaints registered by the EOW, the CSSOS would flaunt to prospective targets that they were associated with various ministries of the government and claimed close relations with several members in these ministries.

As per the CSSOS case, the complainant, who said he was a doctor, told police that he came to know about the society in Dwarka, offering opportunities to buy residential properties. He said officials of the society claimed to have been authorised by the DDA and even showed him the "proposed residential society" they were set to launch. Later, the doctor issued cheques of Rs 50,000 in favour of CSSOS and when he went to the DDA office to check on the project's progress, he realised that he was cheated.

During the EOW's probe, another complainant came forward with similar allegations against the society.

In the second case, the complainant and his wife had booked a one-bedroom apartment with MTNL Employees House Welfare Society and even paid over Rs 4.5 lakh as a downpayment on the house before realising they were cheated.

"We booked one BHK flat for a total cost of Rs 19,80,000 and paid an amount of Rs 4,51,000 in three installments towards the land cost. Now it is almost one year since the booking was done, there is no progress on the ground and they are not giving any satisfactory answer to our queries," the complainant told police. Later a case was registered in this regard.

In February this year, the EOW arrested three people including the president and secretary of a real estate firm for cheating home buyers under the garb of Land Pooling Policy of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and investigators had said that a total amount of approximately Rs 400 crore was collected from 3,997 investors in the name of providing

housing.