Mumbai: A Kurla-based furniture businessman was allegedly duped of Rs. 25 lakhs by an unidentified person on OLX, who promised to rent him a house in Taximan Colony, Kurla West. After paying a large deposit, the victim arrived at the location only to find the house was already occupied and owned by another party.

Mudassir Ali alias Hafiz Shaikh, a resident of New Hall Road, Kurla West, was seeking a rental apartment to live separately from his wife due to family conflicts. He found an advertisement on OLX posted by a man named Salman, offering a house in Taximan Colony for a deposit of Rs 25 lakhs. Although they planned to meet and inspect the property, Salman backed out on the day of the meeting, giving Shaikh only the apartment details to view on his own.

After inspecting the apartment, Shaikh agreed to proceed but insisted on meeting Salman in person before making the payment. During their second meeting, Shaikh noticed Salman’s driver was the same man who had earlier opened the apartment door as a tenant. Salman assured him that the tenant would vacate after the payment.

A senior citizen, Rashida Hussain Sayyed, who was in the car, introduced herself as the flat owner, and Shaikh requested her Aadhaar and PAN cards for documentation. Before finalizing, Shaikh verified the ownership with the building’s security, secretary, and chairman, who confirmed Rashida had lived there for over 25 years. Confident, Shaikh transferred the payment to a bank account named "Rashida Collection" and returned to the apartment with his mother.

Upon returning to the apartment, Shaikh was shocked when Rashida opened the door, with the man who had earlier posed as the tenant and Salman’s driver standing behind her. When Shaikh asked if she had received the payment, Rashida acted indifferently, claiming not to know him or Salman. She then started screaming at Shaikh, threatening to file a police complaint for trespassing. Shaikh tried contacting Salman, but his phone was switched off for an extended period, leading him to realize he had been duped.

The Kurla police have booked Salman, suspected to be a fraudulent agent, on charges of cheating and are actively searching for him. The police will also be questioning Rashida and the tenant to determine their involvement in the crime, according to officials.