Former 'Mr. India' Viju Penkar booked in cheating case

Former Mr India Viju alias Ezriel Penkar, his son and daughter were booked by Mumbai police for allegedly cheating a real estate professional by selling him two flats which he also sold to two buyers in 2008.

READ: Vizag Police Busts Gang Cheating Court Through Fake IDs And Surety

Police have arrested Penkar's son Raphiel alias Ralph and probing the role of his father and sister, an official said on Sunday. Prima facie, Viju Penkar sold the two flats located in Sher-E-Punjab Colony in Andheri to two different buyers after taking money from the complainant, Hemant Gupta. An MIDC Police station official said Gupta had paid Viju Penkar Rs 85 lakh for buying the flats in an upcoming building in 2008. Gupta claimed that he had paid Rs 1.12 crore to Viju Penkar and the concerned builder.

"Construction of the building in which the flats were located was supposed to be completed by December 2008. When Gupta checked on the status of the property in 2016, he found that the flats purchased by him were already sold off to two buyers who had shifted there," the official said quoting the FIR.

The complainant claimed that Viju Penkar had told him that his son Ralph and daughter Lebana owned two flats in Sher-e-Punjab co-operative housing society. "Viju told Gupta that he wanted to sell the flats as he needs money to build a bungalow in Lonavala. Gupta paid Rs 51,000 towards the transfer fee and received share certificates of the respective flats from the society of which Viju was secretary," the official said.

Gupta said he had paid Rs 1.12 crore for the purchase of flats, including more than Rs 26 lakh to the builder who held the power of attorney for the building construction. After Gupta lodged an FIR, police arrested Ralph on Saturday. Police have issued an arrest warrant against Manoj Gupta and Gangaram Patel who bought the two flats. The Penakrs have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including cheating, the official added.

READ: PUBG Mobile Comes Up With Newer Anti-cheat System, Finally