India, Dec. 18 -- The police have registered two separate cases of alleged land fraud involving Rs.3.4 crore, exposing what police officers say is a pattern of cheating in property transactions in Taloja, Panvel. In both cases, the accused sold plots that had already been sold years earlier and had even been mortgaged with national banks. No arrests have been made so far.

According to the Taloja police, the first victim, Rizwan Ahmed Sheikh, 30, a construction professional from Mumbra, alleged that he and his associates were cheated of Rs.1.90 crore. Sheikh told the police that he had been sold an approximately 2,700 sq.ft plot in Taloja Phase 2, but soon afterwards, he noticed that a bank had set up banners to auction the land. He then ...