Navi Mumbai: In a startling case of land fraud, Panvel City Police have registered a case against 12 members of the Bahira family for allegedly portraying a deceased relative as alive and using forged documents to obtain a CIDCO plot under the 12.5% scheme. CIDCO officials uncovered the fraud after a complaint prompted a review of allotment documents.
According to the complaint filed by CIDCO Assistant Development Officer Sandeep Sathe, the family illegally secured Plot No. 102, measuring 1100 sq. m., at Sector 35 in Kamothe by impersonating deceased beneficiary Vishnu Govind Bahira. Police said the accused created a fake identity card in his name using the photograph of an unrelated man, Sakharam Dharma Dhawale, who then posed as the deceased at government offices.
Police said the impersonator signed the lease agreement, tripartite agreement, and documents at the Sub-Registrar Office under the name 'Vishnu Bahira,' enabling the family to claim possession of the plot and later construct a building on it. "The fraudulent submissions were allegedly made across multiple offices, including Panvel Tehsil, CIDCO, and the Sub-Registrar Office, since February 2006. The impersonation and forged paperwork are suspected to have carried out systematically over several years. The plot allotment was granted based on documents later found to be fabricated,” said a police official.
Police said the family resorted to impersonation because obtaining legal heir certificates after Vishnu Bahira’s death would have taken a year, delaying the allotment process. The shortcut, however, triggered legal action once discrepancies were reported by a third party.
Police have booked Sunil Govind Bahira, Chandrakant Govind Bahira, Eknath Shankar Bahira, Sharda Bhalchandra Bahira, Kathod Govind Bahira, Hiraman Govind Bahira, Dharmubai Govind Bahira, Maruti Govind Bahira, Dharma Shankar Bahira, Laxman Bhagwan Bahira, Shweta Sunil Bahira, and Sakharam Dharma Dhawale under BNS Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and 3(5).
The investigation is underway under the supervision of Panvel City Police officials.
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