Two Kozhikode natives held for leasing rented houses without owners' knowledge

Kozhikode: A man and a woman were arrested by the Nadakkavu police on Sunday for leasing rented houses for large sums of money without the knowledge of the owners. The accused, identified as Merlin Davis (59) from Ashokapuram, Kozhikode, and Nisar (38) from Valayanad, Mankavu, face multiple accusations of fraudulent activity.

According to police, there are over 50 complaints against the duo for similar incidents. The arrests were made after three women filed complaints, with the police expecting more cases to be registered. The fraudsters are accused of leasing out properties they did not own, claiming to tenants that they were the rightful owners. They charged tenants exorbitant rents, including ₹25 lakh for one property leased to a native of Thiruvananthapuram, ₹7 lakh for another leased to a tenant named Sruthy, and ₹6 lakh for a property leased to M Meena Kumari from Eranhipalam.

In each case, the accused had initially paid rent for two to three months to the real owners, then subleased the properties for higher amounts. The scam came to light when tenants discovered the fraud and approached the police.

During the investigation, police uncovered additional evidence linking Davis and Nisar to similar schemes in the Nadakkavu, Elathur, and Chevayoor areas. The duo also allegedly extorted money by securing house construction contracts under false pretences.

The duo were presented before the court and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. The fraudsters have been charged under sections 316 (2) (criminal breach of trust), 318 (4) (offence of cheating), and 3(5) (criminal act with shared intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.