A resident’s complaint to a public sector bank regarding the misuse of his KYC documents has uncovered a significant home loan fraud amounting to at least ₹4.79 crore. This fraud involved the availing of eight loans based on forged property deeds from the DLF Qutub Plaza branch in Gurugram. Thirteen suspects obtained these loans between August 2020 and September 2021, with eight of them posing as married couples and the remaining five as individuals.
Maneesh Kumar, a Gurugram resident, brought this fraud to light by filing a complaint with the bank, alleging the misuse of his KYC documents to secure a ₹53.5 lakh home loan against a property in Delhi. Subsequently, senior officials at the bank’s regional office of the Delhi-NCR instructed the concerned branch to conduct a thorough audit of all loans, especially those borrowed for properties in Delhi.
During the audit, it was discovered that 13 individuals had submitted forged property deeds to secure the loans. Physical verifications of the properties in Vikas Puri, Paschim Vihar, and Shalimar Bagh in Delhi revealed that the rightful owners had never sold their flats to the suspects, who falsely claimed ownership to obtain the loans. Additionally, the bank officials collaborated with the Delhi government’s registry office and procured original deeds, confirming the fraudulent nature of the submitted documents.
The revelation of the forged deeds prompted Sayed Abdul Khader, the chief manager of the Qutub Plaza branch, to file a formal complaint on April 24, 2023. Subsequently, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Gurugram Police conducted a thorough inquiry, leading to the registration of an FIR against the 13 suspects under various sections of the Indian Penal Code at the DLF Phase-II police station.
Inspector Shahid Ahmed, the station house officer of the DLF Phase-II police station, confirmed that the EOW is handling the investigation and stated that actions against the suspects will be taken by the EOW.
This case is a stark reminder of the importance of stringent measures to prevent the misuse of KYC documents and the need for robust verification processes to safeguard against fraudulent activities in the banking sector.