The Dark Side of Housing Scheme Frauds
Government welfare schemes aimed at providing affordable housing to the underprivileged are increasingly becoming targets for fraudulent actors. A recent incident in Ghaziabad district has highlighted how con artists exploit the dreams of common citizens who aspire to own a home. In this case, an accountant was cheated out of a significant sum by someone he trusted, under the false promise of securing a flat through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The victim, Praveen Pal, has been working as an accountant for nearly 16 years. His routine visits to a typing shop in the Niyug Market area brought him into contact with an operator named Gaurav Verma. Over years of occasional interactions, a sense of familiarity developed between them. Trusting this long-standing acquaintance proved to be a costly mistake for the victim.
Exploiting Trust and Long-standing Acquaintance
In 2024, Praveen Pal and his family members officially applied for a flat under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. During casual conversations, he mentioned this application to Gaurav Verma. Seizing the opportunity, Gaurav falsely claimed to have strong connections with officials and promised to secure flat allotments effortlessly for the entire family.
Trusting his assurances, Praveen Pal, along with his brother Sunil Pal, Sunil's wife Priyanka, Ramesh Pal, and Nitin, handed over money in installments. In total, the accused took Rs 1.90 lakh under the pretext of expediting the paperwork and securing the government flats.
Police Action and Investigation Underway
When weeks turned into months with no official confirmation or update regarding the flats, the victims grew suspicious. Upon demanding answers, Gaurav and his family members began offering evasive responses and eventually claimed the accused was not available. Realizing they had been cheated, the family approached the authorities.
ACP Wave City Priyashree Pal stated that based on the complaint, an official First Information Report (FIR) has been registered at the Crossing Republic police station against the accused, and a thorough investigation into the financial transactions is currently underway.
