MUMBAI: A builder based in Vile Parle has been arrested by the crime branch for his suspected involvement in a land-grabbing scheme utilizing forged powers of attorney, fake bank accounts, and fraudulent possession transfers concerning prime land in Dahisar.
The property cell of the crime branch took Kalpesh Kanubhai Shah, director of Puja Land and Premises Pvt Ltd, into custody for allegedly conspiring to wrongfully obtain possession rights over approximately 16,288.3 square meters of land through fabricated documentation.
Shah was presented in Esplanade Court, which has ordered him to spend seven days in police custody.
The alleged fraudulent activities surfaced during a civil dispute hearing between Sheikh Construction and Romell Housing in the Bombay High Court, where it was noted that two documents shared the same registration number.
Verification by the joint sub-registrar’s office in Borivali revealed that an irrevocable power of attorney from May 25, 2010, was indeed forged and has no record in official documentation.
Authorities allege that Shah, along with his co-accused Prakash Chandra Dubey, knowingly utilized the counterfeit power of attorney to execute transfer deeds, allowing Puja Land and Premises Pvt Ltd to secure possession rights of the contested land.
The investigation further uncovered that fake bank accounts under the names “Kausar Nooruddin Sheikh” and “Sheikh Construction” were created at a Mira Road bank branch, being used to channel funds related to the transaction.
Investigators assert that Shah and Dubey transferred significant amounts into these accounts prior to executing the disputed documents, despite no legitimate sale agreement existing with the original landowner, KN Sheikh.
During the inquiry, police looked into financial transactions involving co-accused Sameera Aslam Khan, who allegedly confessed to receiving Rs 29.47 lakh, including Rs 9.5 lakh in cash via bearer cheques, and paying Rs 4.5 lakh to an individual known as Kiran Ghavnalkar for creating the forged power of attorney.
It is further alleged that Sajid Sheikh managed the fictitious Sheikh Construction account from which funds were withdrawn.
According to the police, the land belonged to KN Sheikh, who had no intention of selling or transferring the property. They alleged that his ex-wife, Sultana Sheikh, was manipulated into generating forged general and irrevocable powers of attorney to falsely indicate that Sheikh had authorized her to handle the land affairs.
Using these documents, Sultana purportedly executed transfer deeds favoring Puja Land and Premises Pvt Ltd, whose directors included Shah and Dubey.
The crime branch has already apprehended Sultana Sheikh, Sameera Khan, Sajid Sheikh, Prakash Dubey, and Kiran Ghavnalkar, filing charges against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 2023, and the Registration Act, 1908.
A supplementary chargesheet will identify Shah, other wanted individuals, and additional parties linked to the investigation.
Authorities note that Shah’s custodial interrogation is crucial for locating the original forged documents, tracing the money trail, identifying other beneficiaries of the alleged conspiracy, and recovering records tied to the disputed land transactions.
Police suspect Shah was aware of the power of attorney’s forgery yet proceeded with executing and registering the transfer documents.
