Realtor arrested for duping home buyers in Odisha capital

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police has arrested the Managing Director (MD) of a real estate company on charges of duping at least 35 home buyers of above Rs 4 crore in the capital city here.

The accused has been identified as Deepak Kumar Chhotray, the MD of GLF Infratech Private Limited. Chhotray is a resident of Delang in Puri district and he has been produced in a designated court under the Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (OPID) Act in Cuttack, said an official of the EOW today.

The EOW had registered a case against Chhotray under various Sections of the OPID Act as per a complaint lodged by one Anil Kumar Panda, added the official.

According to the complaint, Chhotray as MD of GLF Infratech Private Limited had promised to provide plots/flats to Panda and 34 others at a residential project of the real estate company at Patrapada in the capital city here in 2016.

The real estate company had collected different amounts from the home buyers.

The firm later informed the home buyers that it could not arrange land at Patrapada for its residential project. As a result, the home buyers would get the plots/flats at Gadakana. Once the buyers gave their consent in this regard, the firm collected additional Rs 12 lakh from each of the buyers in 2019. However, the real estate company did not keep its promise. It also did not return the money to the home buyers, said the complaint.

The real estate company had duped the home buyers of above Rs 4 crore, said the EOW.