Overview
- The 53-year-old was arrested in Chembur on December 11 after a trace operation and was produced in court, which remanded him to police custody.
- Investigators allege he enticed buyers with government-quota MHADA flats and issued fake allotment letters to secure payments.
- A complainant cites about ₹70 lakh collected from several victims between 2012 and 2019, while the EOW estimates losses exceed ₹2 crore.
- Police say Rathod is named in at least eight cheating and forgery cases registered since 2022 across Mumbai and Vasai police stations.
- Earlier arrestee Bela D’Souza identified Rathod during interrogation, prompting a special EOW team to track him, and officers have urged more victims to come forward.