A woman has been booked for allegedly cheating a senior citizen and her family members of Rs 1 crore promising them flats under a government scheme, an official said on Wednesday.

Accused Bhakti Akshay Khandarkar allegedly posed as a senior official of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) to trick 77-year-old Ranjana Varadkar, her sister and sister-in-law, he said.

In her complaint to the Dadar police, Varadkar said a relative introduced the accused to her in a hospital three years ago. Khandarkar allegedly claimed she had good contacts with top MHADA officials and could get flats allotted in her name through some scheme.

Later, Khandarkar invited Varadkar, her sister and sister-in-law to her home in Prabhadevi. During the meeting, she allegedly claimed she could secure a 2BHK flat in Goregaon through the MHADA lottery for Rs 20 lakh.

Complainant Varadkar paid the accused Rs 20 flat for a flat and the two even signed an agreement over it, the official said citing the FIR. However, even after two years, Varadkar neither got the flat nor the accused returned her money.

Meanwhile, Khandarkar also allegedly collected Rs 60 lakh from Varadkar’s sister-in-law and Rs 20 lakh from her sister using the same ruse. Altogether, she allegedly collectively conned Varadkar and her relatives of Rs 1 crore, the official said.

On Varadkar’s complaint, police verified the claims and registered a case against Khandarkar. Summons have been issued to the accused and a probe is underway, the official added.

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