Conman held in Mumbai for duping builders

A 45-year-old man was arrested by the Mumbai police's Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) for allegedly posing as a Delhi Vidhan Bhavan "consultant" and cheating builders to the tune of crores under the pretext of arranging loans, police said today.

Police seized stickers bearing logos of the state and Central governments from possession of the accused, Milind Lavate, who used to paste them on his car, an official said.

Lavate was picked up by the AEC sleuths from his residence in Charkop in suburban Kandivali on June 17, he said.

Lavate used to claim that he is a Delhi Vidhan Bhavan "consultant", the official said, adding that he would also identify himself as a bureaucrat and a Uttar Pradesh Olympics Association official.

Lavate used to promise builders and developers in Mumbai that that he would arrange loans for their projects through his "finance company" and collected a huge amount from them towards "processing fees" and commission.

Police seized four high-end cars, including a BMW, from the accused, he said.

Lavate was booked on charges of impersonation and cheating of the IPC for pasting stickers and government logos on his cars, the official said, adding that police have also received complaints of cheating against Lavate from some builders.

Further investigation is underway.