CHENNAI: New Washermanpet police are looking for a man professing to be a driver with the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) on the accusation of defrauding multiple individuals by promising them allotments in a board housing project.

The case, filed under BNS sections for cheating, Criminal Breach of Trust and Disappearance of evidence or giving false information, is based on a complaint from one L Baby of Tondiarpet and ten others.

The complaint alleged that the accused, identified as Vinoth Babu of Kodungaiyur, presented himself as a TNSCB driver. He had allegedly promised to procure and transfer newly constructed houses under the TNSCB's urban housing scheme located on Kailasapuram Street, Tondiarpet.

Based on these representations, the accused is alleged to have collected a total of approximately Rs 33.10 lakhs from the group between September 20, 2024, and July 30, 2025, the police said. The police stated that the accused failed to deliver the houses as promised, leading to the complaint.

Following the complaint and after obtaining a legal opinion, the crime police formally registered the case on Wednesday evening. "An FIR has been registered based on the complaint.

The accused, Vinoth Babu, is currently not arrested, and efforts are being made to trace him. The investigation is ongoing," an official from the station said.

The police have recorded a total property loss of Rs 33.10 lakh.