Mumbai Retiree’s Dream Home Turns Into Nightmare: Wadhwa Group, Sai Consultancy Face Cheating Charges Over Alleged Double Sale of Flat Worth ₹2.30 Crore
In a shocking case that has once again highlighted the dark side of Mumbai’s booming real estate sector, a 61-year-old retired professional has accused the Wadhwa Group and Sai Consultancy of cheating him by allegedly selling the same flat to another buyer, despite collecting more than ₹2.30 crore from him over a span of several years.
The complaint, which has now led to a criminal case being registered at DN Nagar Police Station in Mumbai, has sent ripples across the property market, raising fresh concerns over trust, transparency, and accountability in luxury housing projects.
According to police documents, the complainant, Ajitkumar Hegde, had booked a flat in an upscale residential project called The Nest back in November 2011. At the time, Hegde, like thousands of homebuyers in Mumbai, invested his life savings into the project with the promise of receiving possession of a premium apartment in one of the city’s prime locations.
Hegde stated that he was shown all necessary project approvals and legal paperwork before making the investment. Trusting the credibility of the developers, he proceeded to make payments over the years, eventually paying a total of ₹2,30,80,000. In return, he was issued an allotment letter confirming his ownership rights over a 105-square-meter apartment situated on the ninth floor of the building.
The project, however, soon began facing delays.
Initially scheduled for completion in 2015, construction work kept getting postponed year after year. Like many homebuyers trapped in delayed real estate projects, Hegde said he continued to wait patiently, believing that the delays were temporary and that the builders would eventually honour their commitment.
But what followed after the project was finally completed in December 2022 was something he says he could never have imagined.
When Hegde visited The Nest to inspect his long-awaited apartment, he was allegedly informed by the project’s sales team that the flat assigned to him was no longer available. To his utter shock, he was told that the same apartment had already been sold and occupied by another buyer.
The revelation left him stunned.
According to Hegde’s complaint, the buyer who was now occupying the apartment was identified as Mikhil Inani. Unable to believe what he had heard, Hegde immediately approached the registrar’s office in Khar to verify the ownership records.
What he discovered only deepened the alleged fraud.
Official documents reportedly showed that the same flat had been legally registered in Inani’s name in August 2021—almost ten years after Hegde had originally booked and paid for it.
For Hegde, it was not just a financial blow but an emotional collapse.
After waiting for more than a decade, investing crores of rupees, and planning his retirement around the property, he now found himself without the home he had legally paid for.
Determined to seek answers, Hegde approached the builders multiple times. However, according to his statement, instead of resolving the matter, both companies allegedly began blaming each other.
At first, representatives of Wadhwa Group and Sai Consultancy reportedly cited internal confusion, claiming multiple builders were associated with the project and that there had been a mix-up in records.
But as the meetings continued, the blame game reportedly intensified.
Hegde alleged that each side tried to shift responsibility, avoiding accountability while he desperately sought clarity on how the same apartment could have been sold twice.
Eventually, according to the complaint, the builders allegedly admitted that the flat had indeed been sold to another buyer.
What followed, Hegde says, was even more disturbing.
Instead of offering him an alternate flat, compensation, or a refund of his ₹2.30 crore investment, the developers allegedly told him there was “nothing he could do” and advised him to simply forget the entire matter.
Hegde further claimed that during one of his visits to their office, he was threatened and physically manhandled when he insisted on justice and demanded his money back.
The complaint has named several individuals linked to both companies.
From Sai Group, the accused include Jayesh Tanna, Deep Tanna, and Vinod Tanna. From Wadhwa Group, Hegde has named Naveen Makhija, Manojar Chhabria, and Sanjay Chhabria.
Based on the complaint, DN Nagar Police have registered a case under sections related to cheating, assault, criminal intimidation, and provisions of the Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act (MOFA).
A senior police official said investigators are currently collecting and reviewing all relevant documents, including payment receipts, allotment papers, property registration records, and communications exchanged between the complainant and the builders.
Police are also expected to question all the accused and verify how the ownership duplication occurred.
The case has triggered fresh debate over buyer protection in India’s property market, especially in Mumbai, where delayed projects and disputed ownership cases have become increasingly common over the years.
Legal experts say if the allegations are proven, it could amount to a serious breach of trust and contractual fraud, with significant criminal implications for the developers involved.
For Hegde, however, the fight is no longer just about recovering his money.
After more than a decade of waiting and investing his retirement savings, he says he now wants justice—not only for himself but for other homebuyers who may have faced similar experiences in silence.
As investigations continue, this case could become a landmark example of how vulnerable ordinary buyers remain in the face of powerful real estate developers, and whether India’s legal system can deliver timely justice in such high-stakes property disputes.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
