Mumbai: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police arrested Purshottam Chavan, husband of IPS officer Rashmi Karandikar, in ₹24 crore cheating case offering cheap flat under government quota.

The EOW had registered two FIR in Februaray against Chavan and 11 others for allegedly during 20 victims of Rs 24.78 crore under the pretext of selling them government quota flats in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune at concessional rates using his influence in the government.

Earlier in February he was arrested by Surat Economic Offences Cell (ECO) of Gujarat Police earlier for cheating Surat businessmen Pragyeshbhai Lakhlani and Rameshbhai Bhadani luxury flats posing as a government promoter for the Island City Center (ICC-1 and ICC-2) project in Dadar at a fraction of their market value.

According to EOW probe, Chavan and his accomplices cheated more than six people by promising them government plots in Bhiwandi, Pune, Panvel and Sewri, and some plots of Bombay Port Trust (BPT) at discounted rates.

“The accused forged documents to show they had signed agreements with the complainants and took money from some complainants after promising them contracts to supply hoodies and T-shirts to Nashik Police Training Centre,” said a EOW officer.

Chavan was in judicial custody ever since he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May last year in a Rs 263-crore Income Tax Refund (ITR) fraud case and the EOW had moved an application in the special PMLA court for his custody to investigate cheating cases.