Mumbai, Match 1: An alleged attempt to grab a flat reserved for police personnel in an MHADA colony in Mankhurd through forged civic documents has been uncovered, prompting the Mumbai Police to register a criminal case against three persons, officials said.
Those booked include Sufiya Khatoon Mohammed Shamim Khan, 44, her daughter-in-law Shahida Khatoon Usama Khan, 22, and Sansar Khan. The case is being investigated by the Trombay Police.
Flat part of MHADA housing scheme
According to the FIR, the complainant, Police Inspector Vijay Pandurang Garud, 52, is attached to Trombay police station and holds administrative charge. The flats in question are part of the MHADA colony at Maharashtra Nagar, Mankhurd, constructed by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) under the Maharashtra government’s housing scheme.
A total of 30 flats, numbered 511 to 708, were officially handed over on June 5, 2013, by the Assistant Commissioner of M-East Ward for use as a residential colony for police personnel. The possession of these flats is under the authority of the Mumbai Police Commissioner through the department’s Building Branch and has been assigned to Trombay police station.
As Police Inspector (Administration), Garud is currently the custodian of all related documents. Room No. 511, located on the fifth floor of Building No. 21 in the MHADA colony, remains vacant as it has not been allotted to any individual by the Building Branch, police said.
Women found in vacant flat
The alleged encroachment came to light after Trombay Police received information that some women had illegally occupied the flat. A police team visited the spot and found Sufiya Khan and Shahida Khan inside the premises. During questioning, the duo claimed that they had obtained possession of the flat from the civic authorities after completing due documentation.
However, scrutiny of the papers raised suspicion. The documents shown by Sufiya Khan allegedly bore a logo of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. The possession letter in the name of Shahida Khan, purportedly issued by the M-East Ward office, was also prima facie found to be forged. The police seized the documents and issued notices directing the women to appear for further inquiry.
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Forgery suspected, case registered under BNS
The police subsequently initiated correspondence with officials of the M-East Ward to verify the authenticity of the documents. Preliminary investigations revealed that Sufiya Khan and Shahida Khan, with the assistance of Sansar Khan, had allegedly prepared fake documents in an attempt to grab the police-reserved flat.
An offence has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.
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