A senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Gujarat Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a criminal complaint alleging that a couple cheated his family of ₹61 lakh by promising to provide two flats and a residential plot in Ahmedabad but allegedly failed to complete the transactions or return the money.
The complaint, registered at Chandkheda Police Station, names Amitbhai Natwarlal Jani and his wife Jignashaben Amitbhai Jani as the accused. Police have booked the case under relevant provisions of law and launched an investigation into the allegations.
According to the complaint, the IPS officer first came into contact with the couple in 2014 while serving as the Superintendent of Police in Sabarkantha district. The couple allegedly introduced themselves as prominent real estate developers with projects in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Halol. Over the years, both families developed close personal relations through frequent meetings and family visits.
The complaint states that the officer’s father intended to invest his pension savings and agricultural income in residential properties for his children. Trusting the assurances given by the accused, the family allegedly paid ₹59 lakh in instalments between 2016 and 2019 for two flats in the Sarvatra residential scheme at Thaltej.
However, despite receiving the money, the accused allegedly failed to hand over the promised flats. Instead, they reportedly offered a larger apartment in the Belvedere project for ₹52 lakh. According to the complaint, possession of the apartment was given through an oral understanding in the presence of witnesses, but no registered sale deed or other legal ownership documents were ever executed in favour of the complainant’s family.
The complaint further alleges that in 2020, the couple persuaded the family to invest in a residential plot in the Greenwood scheme and collected an additional ₹9.10 lakh. The plot was allegedly never allotted, nor was the money refunded.
The officer has also alleged that the accused maintained a diary containing coded entries of the payments received from the family. Following the death of his father in 2022, the relationship between the two families reportedly deteriorated, with the accused allegedly accusing the complainant’s family of illegally occupying the Belvedere apartment despite the earlier understanding.
Based on the complaint, Chandkheda Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. Authorities are expected to examine financial transactions, property-related documents, payment records and other evidence to verify the allegations and determine whether offences relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust or forgery have been committed.
Police have not announced any arrests in the case so far. The allegations made in the complaint are currently under investigation, and the guilt or liability of the accused will be determined through the legal process.
Property experts advise homebuyers to verify ownership documents, title records, project approvals and registration details before making substantial payments for real estate. Buyers should also ensure that all transactions are supported by written agreements and properly registered legal documents to minimise the risk of property-related fraud.
