Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SHP)

Mumbai, Mar 6: A 51-year-old developer, here who was involved in duping 80 flat buyers was arrested on Wednesday by the city economic offences wing (EOW) police from Andheri where he was staying in a rented flat. The accused was on the run for over two years and reportedly changed over a dozen SIM cards. He has now been remanded in custody till March 9.

The accused identified as Amogh Sawant, director of Amogh Enterprises and Adit Enterprises had promised flats to 60 people in the saleable portion of redeveloped buildings.

One of the victims, Gopi Kadam complained that Sawant had neither provided him with a flat nor refunded the money he paid. The complaint stated that Sawant had taken up a redevelopment project in Nehru Nagar, Kurla. "He took Rs 2.62 crore from as many as 20 buyers and promised them flats in the new building in 2010. He constructed up to four storeys though he had booked flats till the ninth floor. He had got permission only for a four-storey building, but the buyers were kept in the dark," an officer said.

Sawant was accused of not paying rent to the existing owners whose houses were demolished, following which a complaint against him was lodged in 2018. Two similar cases were received by the EOW against Sawant from other police stations. The Nehru Nagar and Tilak Nagar police stations are investigating one case each.

EOW chief Rajvardhan Sinha formed a team comprising DCP Parag Manere, senior inspector Ramchandra Lotlikar and sub-inspector Balwant Patil to arrest Sawant. As per the EOW, the total amount in the three cases is around Rs 10 crore.