The Entrustment Document Fraud (EDF) Wing-I of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a couple who went on the run after getting money to the tune of ₹1.5 crore from 26 persons under the pretext of leasing out apartments at a complex in Royala Nagar.
The suspects were identified as Jahangir, 56, and his wife Shajitha Banu, 45, of Pallavaram. They were arrested based on a complaint given by A. Shajahan, 63, of Royala Nagar, who alleged that he and 25 others paid a total of ₹1.5 crore to the couple between 2016 to 2019 for apartments at AJS Towers, Royala Nagar, based on individual lease agreements with the accused.
The couple had built a four-storey residential complex after availing a loan from Canara Bank and leased out the apartments to 11 persons. As they defaulted the loan, the bank auctioned off the property. Following the auction, the property was sold to one Narmadha Kothandam.
When the property was under the possession of the bank, the couple had entered into lease agreements with 15 others to the same apartments that had already been leased. After collecting the money from them, the couple left to Oman. The police registered a case and also issued a look out notices against the couple.
A police team, led by sub-inspector K. Sujatha, said the couple flew down to Mumbai recently. The couple gave the police the slip at the Mumbai airport. After investigating, the team traced the couple to an apartment in Pallavaram and arrested them. They were remanded in judicial custody.
