Pune Senior Citizen Alleges Rs 98.95 Lakh Fraud by Pate Developers, Four Booked
Shivajinagar, 16th August 2025: A 69-year-old resident of Model Colony has filed a police complaint against Pate Developers and its partners, alleging that he and his wife were duped of nearly ₹99 lakh in a flat purchase deal that never materialised.
The complainant, Rajendra Ambekar, along with his 63-year-old wife, claimed that they invested their life savings in March 2021 to book a flat with the developer. Despite paying in multiple instalments, the couple never received possession.
“We trusted them completely and paid almost a crore, believing we would get our home. Instead, we were deceived and left with huge financial losses,” Ambekar told the police in his statement.
According to the FIR registered at Chaturshingi Police Station through Advocate Omkar Nevgi, the accused—identified as Lalit Ajgaonkar, Vibhav Jadhav, Yogesh Babasaheb Pate, and Umesh Babasaheb Pate—introduced themselves as partners in Pate Developers. They initially promised Flat No. 201 in Shashwat Nagar, Pune, and accepted substantial amounts through bank transfers to their Federal Bank, Model Colony branch accounts.
Later, in discussions, they reportedly offered Flat No. 101 as an alternative. Payments continued between March and June 2021 under a registered agreement. However, the Ambekars alleged that despite repeated follow-ups, the possession of neither flat was given.
“In February 2024, I found out that the flat we were promised was already registered in someone else’s name. That’s when I realised the extent of the fraud,” Ambekar stated.
Police officials confirmed that the accused returned only ₹54.05 lakh out of the total amount received, leaving a balance of ₹44.9 lakh unpaid. Including interest, the couple claims their loss stands at ₹98.95 lakh.
A senior police officer from Chaturshingi Police Station said, “We have booked the accused under sections of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is in progress.”
