Surat: A 62-year-old Ahmedabad-based developer and owner of the well-known restaurant Patang was arrested on Monday for alleged involvement in cheating and criminal breach of trust involving at least 15 victims, police said. The accused, Umang Thakkar, was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody for two days.According to police, the alleged fraud is worth Rs 1.56 crore. Two other accused persons — Thakkar’s sons, Kanth and Neel — are yet to be arrested. All three are residents of the Satellite area of Ahmedabad.The case is based on a complaint filed by Pushpak Patel, a resident of the Surat’s Jahangirabad area, in April 2026, at Kamrej police station. Patel stated that the accused launched a real estate venture named Sahjanand Nirvana in Kholwad village of Kamrej. He alleged that he bought a plot in the project and paid Rs 65.59 lakh.Patel later found that the land linked to the project was under dispute since 2018. He further alleged that the specific plot sold to him had already been sold to another person earlier. The complainant also alleged that the project did not have approvals from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and there was no clear status regarding conversion of the land to non-agricultural (NA) use.“The accused sold the land to one party earlier and sold it again to the complainant and others related to this case. As the land is disputed, he did not give the plot or money back to the complainant. The land’s titles are not clear,” said a police officer.Kholwad is a developing area on the outskirts of the city, and several new societies are being developed. The project was launched in 2025. Police said further investigation is underway and efforts are being made to trace the remaining accused.
