Curation Team
BENGALURU: A Bengaluru-based property management firm, Catena Homes India Pvt Ltd, is under fire after seven FIRs were registered across multiple police stations, accusing the company and its directors of defrauding tenants and homeowners of nearly Rs 25 crore through fake lease and rental schemes.
Police said three individuals identified as Naveen, Raman, and Ranjith have been arrested. The cases span Parappana Agrahara, Varthur, Ramamurthy Nagar, Amruthahalli, and Electronic City.
In the first case, the Electronic City police received a complaint from a Bengaluru resident of 15 years, who alleged that the company defrauded him and several others by collecting large sums on false rental promises. The complainant reported a loss of nearly Rs 10 lakh on September 1. According to the complaint, the victim was found Catena Homes on a property portal while looking for a flat at RI Elegance Apartment, Haralur Main Road. On A property manager, Ramana, showed him the flat and demanded Rs 10 lakh for leasing it.
He transferred the money and visited the property on July 22, 2025, when the existing tenant, Satish, told him Catena Homes had failed to pay him. Officials promised him another house or a refund, but neither was provided.
The company allegedly collected lakhs of rupees from different individuals, failed to provide them with houses, did not pay rent to owners after lease agreements expired, and eventually shut down its office, leaving many victims in distress.
According to the complaint, over 70 to 80 people may have been defrauded in this manner.
Another complaint was filed at Amruthahalli Police Station on September 16. The complaint alleged that the victim was duped of Rs 17.5 lakh after being lured by a property advertisement posted in 2022. The victim was assured a leased flat by company representatives, including Chandrashekhar and Director Vivek K, who claimed to offer properties with subsidies.
The victim and his family moved into the flat after signing a lease agreement, but as the term neared expiry in August 2024, company officials allegedly demanded an additional Rs 5 lakh for extension. Suspicious, he approached the actual owner, who revealed that the firm had not paid rent since February.
It was also discovered that several others had fallen victim to the scheme. The complaint lists victims including MS Sunilkumar (Rs 17 lakh), Nagaraj Savanur (Rs 21 lakh), Linda Kirane (Rs 29 lakh), C Jude (Rs 19 lakh), Nitin Monappa (Rs 23 lakh) and over Rs 1 crore from others.
The cases are likely to be transferred to the CID on Monday.
