A 62-year-old man has been arrested by the Market Police for allegedly impersonating the owner of a property and fraudulently executing its sale deed at the Sub-Registrar’s Office in Belagavi.
The accused has been identified as Lakhan Arjun Desai, a resident of Siddeshwar Galli in Peeranwadi. The arrest follows a complaint filed by Rafiq Imam Shahapurkar (57) of Uchagaon, who alleged that his family’s property had been sold without the knowledge or consent of the rightful owners.
According to the police, the complaint was lodged on January 10, after which investigators examined the property records and gathered evidence linking Desai to the alleged fraud.
Police said Desai allegedly posed as the complainant’s uncle, the original owner of the property, at the Sub-Registrar’s Office. He is accused of completing the registration process by getting his photograph captured through the office webcam, affixing his thumb impression, and executing the sale deed in favour of another person.
The fraudulent registration allegedly resulted in the complainant and his family being cheated of their property.
Desai was arrested on Tuesday and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody.
The investigation was carried out by a team from the Market Police Station led by Police Inspector J.M. Kalimirchi and PSI H.L. Kerur. City Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase commended the investigating team for solving the case.