Nagpur: A 54-year-old government employee has lodged a complaint alleging that a man cheated him and 11 other prospective plot buyers of ₹47.45 lakh by allegedly developing and selling plots on agricultural land that he did not own in Nagpur.

The case was registered at Pardi Police Station against Rajkumar Prakash Bhagat, a resident of Netaji Nagar, Ganesh Residency, Kalamna. The accused has not been arrested so far.

According to the complaint filed by Sandeep Janardhan Dharamthok (54), the alleged fraud involved properties in Pawangaon, Shankarpur and Kanhalgaon areas of Nagpur.

Police said Bhagat allegedly represented himself as being associated with Shitla Mata Housing Agency and Jai Santoshi Maa Developers and Builders. He allegedly created layouts on land that he did not own and entered into agreements of sale and other documents with the complainant and other prospective buyers for various plots between May 2024 and June 2026.

However, despite accepting payments, the accused allegedly failed to hand over the plots to the buyers.

According to the complaint, the complainant and 11 other plot buyers collectively paid around ₹47.45 lakh through cash, cheques and online transactions. The buyers subsequently allegedly realised that the accused did not have ownership of the land on which the layouts had been developed.

Based on the complaint, Pardi Police registered a case under Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating.