Chandigarh: Former Merchant Navy cadet started Kharar project in 2011, booked two years later

The company, Mariners Buildcom India Limited, owned by Anand, approached many serving and retired officials of Merchant Navy and allured them with flats and plots in the housing project at Kharar. The project was called “Mohali Oceanic”.

At least 70 serving and retired officials of Merchant Navy invested in the project but Anand allegedly duped them and neither gave the flats/plots nor refunded their money. Although an FIR was registered in 2013 against Anand, his mother Harjas Kaur and niece Amrita Rosha in Delhi, it brought no reprieve for the investors who have been running from pillar to post seeking their money back.

Captain J S Ahluwalia, based in Delhi, who is one of the victims, alleges that Anand committed the fraud which is estimated to be of several hundred crores.

“Anand approached me in 2011 and told me about the upcoming project of his company in Mohali. He told me that the project shall be completed in 2014. I gave him Rs 19 lakh in instalments. To date, I have neither got any flat nor I received refund of my money,” Ahluwalia said.

“I lodged a complaint with the police. A criminal case was registered, but what did I get out of it? Now Anand is absconding while his mother Harjas Kaur is also not traceable. Anand’s niece and partner Amrita Rosha who is equally responsible for this fraud is also untraceable,” Ahluwalia added.

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Anand’s family runs a gold ornament business. Ahluwalia alleges Anand’s family has a big jewellery shop in Delhi and some of the directors of ‘Mohali Oceanic’ were gold merchants. “Anand and his accomplices might have transferred the money into their gold business,” Ahluwalia said.

Captain I M Singh, currently working in Merchant Navy, had invested Rs 53 lakh in the project. Singh said, “Before launching the project, Anand and his team spent huge money on marketing the project and made people believe that the project was genuine. I wanted to purchase a property in Mohali, thus I gave him Rs 53 lakh but to my utter surprise, the project never took off. I too have lodged a criminal complaint with the police against Anand and others.”

The investigation officer of the case Sub-Inspector Parkash Kumar, Kalkaji police station, New Delhi, said, “Anand is absconding. We cannot do anything till he is arrested. We have conducted raids at many places in New Delhi and other areas, but Anand cannot be located. The chargesheet can also not be filed till the accused are arrested. Our efforts continue and whenever we receive any information about his suspected hideout, we conduct raids.”

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