CHENNAI: Police arrested a land broker on Wednesday and launched a search for another broker for collecting 1.5 crores from a 45-year-old man, promising him to purchase and register a land in his name in Tirupur.
“The complainant Shanmugam (45), a resident of Singasamudram in Tiruvallur district, approached two land brokers - Murthy and Natarajan - for purchasing a land. The duo received 1.5 crores from him but did not give proper answers months after Shanmugam enquired about the land. At last, Shanmugam realised that he was cheated, only after he approached the landowner concerned. The landowner informed Shanmugam that he had registered three acres of land in the name of Murthy and Natarajan,” said a police officer.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that Shanmugam gave 1.5 crores in cash to Murthy and Natarajan in 2016 and whenever he inquired with them about the registration, the duo dodged by citing political turmoil in the state and demonetisation and other issues.
Based on a complaint from Shanmugam, a police team went to Tirupur and nabbed Murthy and launched a hunt for the other man Natarajan. Murthy was remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate.