A real estate fraud involving a staggering Rs 17.74 crore has been unearthed in Mumbai. In a bizarre twist the alleged main accused, Rupesh Prabhakar Choudhary, who posed as a senior Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer, was dead by the time his victims realised the deception.
The principal accused, Choudhary, allegedly conspired with his wife Nikki Chaudhary, associate Prabhakar Shetty (60), Roland Karkada (50), and others to carry out the massive fraud.
The complaint was filed by 45-year-old businessman Mohammad Aslam Qureshi. The case, initially filed at Dindoshi police station, has now been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) due to its complexity and scale. The First Information Report (FIR) includes cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and extortion charges.
How Fake IB Officer Pulled Off Elaborate Property Con
According to Qureshi, Choudhary posed as a high-ranking IB official with "deep connections" in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
He lured investors, including Qureshi and his associates, with the promise of securing "cheap flats" under government schemes. To establish his credibility, Choudhary allegedly furnished fake MHADA documents, counterfeit government letters, and fabricated GRAS challans.
Choudhary reportedly travelled in a car fitted with a red beacon, moved with bodyguards, and shared photographs on social media alongside IAS officers and high-ranking police officials. He even held a lavish birthday party attended by bureaucrats, police officers, and television personalities, including some cast members of the popular show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.
How The Truth Unfolded
Between January 2023 and July 2025, the complainant Qureshi and his associates invested approximately Rs 17 crore, convinced by Choudhary's claims. The promised date for property registration was set for July 18.
However, on the day of the promised registration, the investors received shocking news: Rupesh Choudhary had died of a heart attack in Nashik.
The truth was fully revealed during Choudhary's funeral proceedings when Qureshi reportedly discovered that the man who had defrauded him and his associates was not even an IB officer.
The complaint further alleges that Choudhary maintained seemingly close relationships with several senior police officers, including multiple deputy commissioners of police (DCPs), some of whom allegedly assisted him with a trip to Dubai.
The EOW is also investigating the forging of documents in the name of Anil Diggikar, MHADA vice-president. Diggikar has since clarified to authorities that he had no association with Choudhary and that all related documents were fraudulent.
Adding another layer of suspicion, the complainants have raised doubts about Choudhary's death, citing discrepancies in the post-mortem report, which allegedly noted unexplained red marks on his chest. Choudhary's wife, Nikki, also faces allegations of fraud and threatening to falsely implicate Qureshi in a legal case.
The EOW has booked the four accused and investigations are underway.
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