Mumbai | 11 June 2025 — Mumbai Police have filed a case against a woman accused of cheating an 82-year-old retired IIT professor out of his properties, including three flats, by posing as his caretaker and sending him to an old age home before fraudulently transferring assets into her name.
The accused, identified as Nikita Naik, has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and fraud, following a complaint filed by the victim on June 8, officials confirmed.
According to police, the fraud occurred over several years, between January 2017 and May 7, 2025, and involved property and assets valued at more than ₹6 crore. The victim, who lived alone in Glen Heights Apartment at Hiranandani Gardens in Powai, first came into contact with Naik in 2017 while practising yoga in the area.
“She gradually gained his trust and began visiting his home regularly. Eventually, she moved in under the pretext of assisting him with his daily routine as his eyesight began to weaken,” a police official involved in the investigation said.
As his vision deteriorated, the professor began relying on Naik for help with his phone and banking tasks. Police allege that she used this access to obtain control over his ATM cards, banking details, and eventually began conducting financial transactions in his name.
In April, she allegedly took him to the registration office under the guise of offering legal assistance and made him sign documents without disclosing their content. “One-third of his property was then transferred to her via a gift deed,” the official said.
She also reportedly took possession of gold ornaments, signed cheques, credit and debit cards, as well as crucial property documents.
The alleged deception came to light in February 2025 when the professor’s son learned from the housing society that an application had been submitted to transfer the property’s share certificate to Naik’s name. Concerned, he visited an old age home in Vikhroli where he found his father had been placed by Naik.
“After learning the sequence of events, the son brought his father back to his Powai residence and filed a police complaint,” the official added.
Investigations are ongoing. Police said they are verifying all financial and property-related transactions conducted during the period and assessing the extent of the accused’s access to the victim’s personal records.
