Mumbai: The Matunga police have registered a case against Vana Kulin Ghatalia and several others for allegedly forging signatures to create a fake Will, selling off disputed property, and cheating a 42-year-old businessman Rajdeep Kailash Parekh of around Rs 2.4 crore.
About The Scam
The scam centres around a prime plot in Matunga (East) and involves the forged Will of their great-grandmother Lilavati Nathalal Parekh, unauthorised possession, and a dispute dating back over six decades. According to the FIR, the complaint was lodged by Rajdeep Parekh, a resident of Matunga, who, along with his younger brother Chandradeep Parekh, 35, owns a film, music, and sound recording studio.
Rajdeep's great-grandparents, Nathalal Manikchand Parekh and Lilavati Parekh, had two sons, Bhikhalal Parekh and Jaywant Parekh, and four daughters, Vana Kulin Ghatalia, Kala Hiralal Doshi, Kundan Virendra Doshi, and Vasanti Vijay Mehta. Nathalal passed away in 1964, and before his death, he allegedly allocated the property as follows: one-third each to his wife Lilavati and sons Bhikhalal and Jaywant. Lilavati Parekh passed away in 1984.
In 2010, Vana Ghatalia filed a Testamentary Petition before the Bombay High Court, claiming that Lilavati had made a will in 1983 bequeathing her one-third share to her four daughters, Vana, Kala, Kundan, and Vasanti. Suspecting foul play, Rajdeep’s family filed a caveat in opposition to the petition. In September 2010, Jaywant Parekh (Rajdeep’s granduncle) submitted an affidavit before the Bombay High Court stating that Lilavati had died without making any such will. The matter is still pending before the High Court.
Despite this, in 2017, builders Sanjay and Amit Vardhan of M/s B K Realty put up a signboard at Plot No. 60, Zaver Baug, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, Matunga (East), claiming ownership. They even took possession of Rooms 2, 3, and 9, allegedly part of Rajdeep’s property, and placed a tenant in Room 9. Rajdeep sent two legal notices to B K Realty through his lawyer but received no response. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed further legal proceedings. Later, upon retrieving property records in 2020 from the Sub-Registrar’s office in Worli, Rajdeep discovered that in 2008, Jaywant Parekh, along with Kala, Vana, Kundan, and Vasanti, had signed an MOU with the builders, agreeing to sell their collective two-thirds share.
In 2015, the four sisters sold their alleged one-third share to the builders for Rs 2.4 crore, followed by Jaywant’s share in 2016 for Rs 92 lakh, making the builders owners of two-thirds of the property. However, in 2022, B K Realty filed a correction deed at the Worli Sub-Registrar’s office, falsely claiming full ownership of the entire property, not just the two-thirds they had bought. Rajdeep came to know of this development in 2023. In January 2024, Rajdeep obtained the contested 1983 will and had it examined by Inside Ink Graphology Solutions, a government-recognised forensic lab in Powai.
He also submitted original documents and signature samples of Lilavati Parekh, including settlement deeds and agreements from 1964, 1972, 1975, and 1978. The forensic report, submitted in February 2024, confirmed that the 1983 will was forged and the signatures were not those of Lilavati Parekh. Following this confirmation, Rajdeep lodged a complaint at the Matunga Police Station. Based on the evidence, the police have filed an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code related to forgery, criminal conspiracy, cheating, and fraud.
