Puri invested 4.5cr in realty

GURGAON: Shiv Raj Puri, the mastermind behind the multi-crore Citibank scam, might have put investors’ money into the speculative market, but he had played safe as far as his own investment was concerned . He had made an initial investment of over Rs 4.5 crore in nine residential flats and plots, and four commercial properties. According to Gurgaon police, Puri had invested in real estate not only in Gurgaon but also in Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh.

He had made initial payments to the developers and all the flats booked by him are yet to be completed. The list of properties booked by Puri includes a flat in a complex being developed by Tata Housing , Raisina, near Ullahwas village. He had paid Rs 97 lakh for this. He had also booked another flat. The fraudster had also booked a flat on Golf Road Extension being built by Ireo in Gurgaon. Similarly, he had paid booking amount of Rs 25 lakh for a flat in a residential complex by Emaar MGF.

The disgraced banker had also booked a flat for Rs 47 lakh at Ireo Grand Arch in Gurgaon and had also got two plots developed by Bestechin Daruhera with an investment of Rs 1.2 crore. Puri had also invested a part of his ill-gotten wealth outside Gurgaon. He had paid Rs 1.1 crore for a villa developed by Arrow Infra , a subsidiary of Hero Corporates in Haridwar.

He had booked another flat in Le Monte Princeton Estate in Kasauli, Himachal, for Rs 15 lakh. The accused had also booked two office spaces each at MGF Emerald Plaza and at Urban Pioneer. “In 2009, he had bought a house in DLF, which he had transferred in his wife’s name. Investigation has shown that the flat in Hamilton Court where he was staying with his parents is in the name of one Rajender Chand. He is a close friend of Shiv Raj’s father, Raghu Raj Puri,” a senior police officer said. Police have now issued directions to all the developers and tehsildars to not release these properties until investigation is over.