Chennai: Duo rents 34 houses, leases them out in Rs 2.11 crore fraud

CHENNAI: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Greater Chennai Police on Friday arrested two persons, including a 59-year-old woman, for allegedly duping customers of around Rs 2.11 crore by renting 34 houses and illegally leasing them out through online advertisements published under a bogus property firm.

The accused have been identified as Helen Rose (59) of Thiruverkadu and Premkumar (50) of Chitlapakkam.

The case came to light after one of the customers named Fathima Beevi lodged a complaint stating that she approached Rose and Premkumar after seeing an online advertisement by ‘Imayam Homes and Property Management’, which was offering houses on rent and lease in Chennai and its suburbs.

When she contacted the firm, she was called to their office at Sridevi Garden Main Road, Valasaravakkam. The duo allegedly leased her a house, which belonged to one Manikandan, for Rs 7 lakh. They had rented the house from Manikandan in the name of their company.

When he failed to get the monthly rent, Manikandan asked Fathima Beevi to vacate the property. Fathima Beevi found the duo absconding and realised their company was fake and she had been cheated.

According to the police, the The complainant found the duo absconding and realised their company was fake and she had been cheated of Rs 7 L

accused had rented a total of 34 houses in the name of the company and leased them out to customers, defrauding them of Rs 2.11 crore through online transactions, bank transfers and cash.

They neither paid the 34 house owners nor returned the lease amount to tenants, and they shut down the firm and went absconding, the police said. They have been remanded in judicial custody.