SLUG: MEHSANA COUPLE BOOKEDAhmedabad: A 39-year-old man from the Tragad area of the city filed a complaint with Sabarmati police station on Thursday, alleging that he and his relatives were cheated of Rs 2.53 crore by a couple from Mehsana on the pretext of making investments in land and properties in Gift City.The mechanical engineer employed with a private firm in Prahladnagar, stated in his complaint that the accused, man and his wife from Japor village in Mehsana district, convinced him and his family to invest in real estate projects named “Vishakha Olivia” and “Vishakha Eliana”.The victim said his wife, a govt schoolteacher, was introduced to the couple in 2012 when they were colleagues. Over time, both families developed close relations. In 2020, the accused claimed they were running real estate and construction businesses and offered investment opportunities in land and flat schemes in Tragad, Charodi, and Gift City, promising high returns.Between 2021 and 2023, the complainant and his relatives invested Rs 2.53 crore through online transfers and cash payments. They were also given six handwritten diaries acknowledging the receipt of funds. According to the complaint, Rs 1.43 crore was paid via bank transfer and Rs 1.09 crore in cash.The accused provided registration papers for three flats and issued three cheques totalling Rs 16 lakh, which are yet to be cleared. When the promised returns were not paid by the Dec 2023 deadline, the complainant approached the police.Sabarmati police registered an FIR of breach of trust, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under the BNS Act and began an investigation into the alleged fraud.