Nashik: MHADA Scam Land Records Deputy Superintendent Arrested For Preparing Fake Land Maps

Nashik: In a major development in the alleged MHADA housing scam, the Land Records Department's Deputy Superintendent, Shrikant Pardeshi, was arrested on Tuesday night for his alleged role in facilitating fraudulent land subdivision through forged official seals and survey maps. His arrest marks the sixth arrest in the high-profile case.

The investigation has already led to criminal cases against 197 builders and developers accused of illegally fragmenting land parcels to evade mandatory affordable housing provisions under the MHADA policy.

Under the 2013 government policy, residential projects exceeding 4,000 square metres (approximately one acre) were required to reserve 20% of the land for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low-Income Groups (LIG), to be transferred to MHADA. Investigators allege that builders, in collusion with officials from the Revenue, Town Planning, and Land Records departments, artificially split larger plots into smaller parcels to show each as being below the 4,000 sq m threshold, thereby bypassing the rule.

Following statewide attention to the scam, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the chairmanship of Divisional Commissioner Dr. Pravin Gedam. The SIT is re-examining all disputed land parcels and pursuing legal action to recover housing meant for eligible beneficiaries.

Police have registered offences against 197 suspected landowners and developers in connection with 49 cases at the Sarkarwada Police Station in Nashik.

Police Custody Till July 10
Investigators claim they have established that forged signatures and counterfeit seals of the Land Records Office were used to prepare fake survey maps. Authorities allege that Shrikant Pardeshi was the mastermind behind this operation. He was produced before a court, which remanded him to police custody until July 10.

Earlier Arrests
Those previously arrested in the case include builders Sonu Manwani and Deepak Karamchandani, former Naib Tehsildar Nitin Patil, Assistant Director of Town Planning Kalpesh Patil, and Land Records Superintendent Bipin Kajale. With Pardeshi's arrest, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to six.