New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a shrewd woman accused of running a chilling property fraud racket, in which she allegedly resold houses that had already been sold to other buyers, primarily targeting lower-middle-class families desperate to own a small home.
The accused woman, identified as Mehnaz, was arrested by the Crime Branch’s Anti-Burglary and Special Crime Unit (ARSC) after remaining absconding for nearly four years. She had been declared a Proclaimed Offender by a court in 2024 after repeatedly evading police and judicial proceedings.
How the Scam Worked
According to police officials, Mehnaz specifically targeted financially vulnerable homebuyers—people who pooled lifelong savings, cut down on daily necessities, and lacked the means to pursue prolonged legal battles. Knowing that such victims could neither afford expensive lawyers nor sustain court cases, she exploited their helplessness.
After gaining their trust, the accused allegedly took large advance payments and then disappeared, cutting off all communication. Investigations revealed that the properties shown to victims had already been sold to other individuals, making the transactions fraudulent from the outset.
₹16.5 Lakh Fraud Case
The current case pertains to a complaint registered in 2023 at Adarsh Nagar Police Station, where Mehnaz allegedly collected ₹16.5 lakh as advance money from a complainant after promising to sell a house in the area. Subsequent verification revealed that the property had been sold earlier to another person.
When the victim demanded a refund, the accused allegedly stopped answering calls and vanished, prompting registration of an FIR under cheating and forgery provisions.
Declared Proclaimed Offender
After evading investigation and court summons for over a year, Mehnaz was formally declared a Proclaimed Offender in 2024. The case was later transferred to the Crime Branch ARSC Unit, which launched a renewed manhunt using technical surveillance, local intelligence, and confidential inputs.
Arrest After Years on the Run
Acting on precise intelligence, Delhi Police arrested Mehnaz during the intervening night of January 6–7. The operation was carried out by a team led by Inspector Robin Tyagi and Mangesh Tyagi, under the supervision of ACP Sanjay Kumar Nagpal and overall monitoring by DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.
Police clarified that while some social media posts described the arrest as related to robbery cases, the case strictly pertains to property fraud, not snatching or robbery incidents reported earlier in the Adarsh Nagar area.
Further Probe Underway
The accused is currently being interrogated intensively. Police are probing whether Mehnaz has cheated more victims using similar methods and whether any accomplices or property dealers were involved in the racket.
Police Advisory
Delhi Police have urged citizens to verify property ownership documents thoroughly, cross-check sale deeds, and avoid suspicious transactions. Any suspected fraud should be reported immediately to the police.
Further investigation is ongoing.
