Ahmedabad: Two complaints have been filed with the Bopal Police against builders operating under the name Privilon Buildcon LLP. The builders are accused of using fake documents, misleading ads, and aggressive promotions to lure buyers into investing in a non-existent 22-story project called Celestial Towers in Ghuma village.

The Bopal police have arrested one of the suspects, Jaydeep Kotak, and are continuing the investigation. It is reported that he has confessed to defrauding 218 people of Rs 54 crore, using the money to purchase properties and vehicles in primary interrogation.

Bhavesh Rawani, the owner of a visa consultancy at TRP Mall, Bopal, filed an FIR stating that he came across an advertisement for the project by the “Privillon Group” in January 2024. The scheme promised commercial shops and flats in a 22-story building. Bhavesh met builder Hiren Kariya at the site, finalized a shop, and paid an advance of Rs 1.76 lakh via cheque. Over time, he paid a total of Rs 56 lakh to Kariya and Kotak. However, construction never began, and when Bhavesh investigated further, he noticed that the advertisement boards he had initially seen were missing. Upon confronting the builders, he was threatened if he demanded a refund. Bhavesh also discovered that seven other victims had been swindled, resulting in a total loss of Rs 2.83 crore.

It has now emerged that the builders allegedly acquired land from farmers without compensating them, leading to an estimated scam worth around Rs 200 crore.

Another complaint alleges that the builders held property expos, distributed brochures, and collected significant sums as booking amounts from various buyers. One victim and her father paid Rs 25 lakh for a flat via bank cheque. The builders even notarized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to appear legitimate. They are accused of defrauding 183 people of Rs 35 crore by pretending to sell flats in the Bopal-Ghuma area.

An investigation into the scam is ongoing following the suspect’s 14-day remand. Two DySPs and two PIs are leading the probe. Jaydeep Kotak, one of the accused, was arrested on Wednesday. Ahmedabad Rural DySP Om Prakash Jat stated, “An investigation is underway against the builders accused of scamming people out of crores. The number of victims may rise.”

“The builders of Privillon Group never bought the land from the farmer, yet they deceived people by falsely claiming to have applied with RERA,” he added.