Hyderabad Housing Scam: Three Arrested for Forging 2-BHK Allotments, 79 Fake Certificates Seized
The Alwal police have arrested three individuals for allegedly cheating nearly 100 families by promising them government 2-BHK houses and issuing forged allotment certificates. The police seized 79 fake documents and three mobile phones used in the fraud.
The accused have been identified as Timmiri Gopinath Pushpalatha, 54, a resident of Trimulgherry; her son Timmiri Gopinath Vishal, 21; and Mahender Singh, 45, proprietor of Radhaswamy photocopy centre in Trimulgherry. All three were apprehended on June 24.
According to the police, the accused collected amounts ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh from victims by falsely claiming they could secure allotments under the government's 2-BHK housing scheme. Investigators stated that Pushpalatha was projected as a senior GHMC official with the ability to facilitate house allotments, leading victims to believe the claims.
To convince applicants, the accused supplied forged government allotment certificates, creating the impression that houses had already been sanctioned. The police said the victims waited for nearly three years before realising they had been cheated.
The case was registered at the Alwal police station on May 20 based on a complaint lodged by Gogikar Prasad. During the investigation, the police found that Pushpalatha and Vishal played key roles in preparing and distributing the forged certificates, while Mahender Singh assisted in designing and printing the fake documents at his photocopy centre.
Officials said that the prime accused, Jayaraj Gangadharan, along with Nisha Raj, Chintu Raj and a rubber stamp business in Ranigunj, are absconding. Efforts are underway to trace them.
The police urged the public not to pay money to individuals claiming they can secure government benefits, including housing, jobs, land allotments or welfare schemes, and advised citizens to verify such claims with the concerned government department before making any payments.
