Big cabal behind 'Plot for Sale' scam in Thiruvananthapuram's Jawahar Nagar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A rampant fraud in the guise of property sale is spreading in the capital city. Fraudsters will put photos of uninhibited houses and properties online for sale or will put a sign of ‘For Sale’ in front of those houses. The land is transferred by making fake documents and presenting people impersonating the owner. There are indications that a large cabal is working on the sale and land registration procedures.

The fraudsters mostly select houses that have been uninhabited for years. First, an advertisement called 'Plot for Sale' is posted. If the real owners or relatives confront, the gang will admit it as a gaffe and will elope. The advertisements will also be taken down.

If things go smoothly, the gang will wait for months to assess the situation and then create fake documents such as Aadhaar in the name of the owners. The registration is completed by presenting people who look similar to the owner, the officials said.

More details of the fraud came to light when the house and property in Jawahar Nagar, Thiruvananthapuram, were sold for Rs. 1.5 crore without the information of the real owner, who is now in the United States. In the incident, Merin Jacob (27) and Vasantha (76) were arrested. Police unearthed the involvement of a big gang behind the fraud. Adding more drama was the involvement of Congress leader Manikandan, who helped the gang create fake documents.

Merin took the deed of the house by masquerading as the foster daughter of Dora Azaria Cripps, the real owner of the house. Vasantha, a native of Vattappara, impersonated as Dora and appeared before the Sasthamangalam Registrar's Office to sign documents. When the caretaker of Dora's property came to pay the tax, he found that someone else had paid the tax and that the property and house were in someone else's name.