Woman arrested for allegedly cheating home buyers, tenants and property owners of Rs 1.36 crore

PTI, 10 September 2026, Thane : A woman was arrested in Thane district for allegedly cheating home buyers, tenants and property owners of more than Rs 1.36 crore after promising them high returns on real estate investments and rental agreements, a police official said on Thursday.

The Navghar police station official identified the accused as Chandni Abhay Verma, who was held on September 4.

“Between July 1, 2024 and August 28 this year, Verma lured victims by soliciting large lump-sum amounts under the guise of heavy deposits. She promised to invest these funds into her ongoing construction sites in Naigaon and Palghar while securing rented accommodation for the investors,” the official said.

She assured them that she would personally pay the monthly room rent throughout the agreement period and return the full deposit amount once the lease expired, he said.

To gain the victims’ trust, she paid the monthly rent for the first few months before abruptly halting payments and absconding with the capital, the official added.

On the complaint of stationery shop owner Anand Mataprasad Gupta, who lost Rs 3.51 lakh, Verma was booked on August 29 for cheating, criminal breach of trust and other offences under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said.

“She was held on September 4 after being on the run. A probe confirmed that Verma cheated a total of 19 individuals out of Rs 1,36,81,000,” he said.