Mumbai: Former Government Employee Arrested in Malad Multi-Crore Land Fraud

A retired employee of the City Survey Office has been arrested in connection with a multi-crore land scam in Malad (West). The accused, 64-year-old Devdas Jairam Jadhav, is the third individual to be detained by a special investigation team formed by the crime branch under the direction of the high court. This investigation focuses on alleged forged documents associated with the City Land Survey Office.

Last month, Narsim Puttavallu, a middleman, was arrested for his involvement in manipulating property classified as a ‘No Development Zone’ in the suburban area.

The scam revolves around the unauthorized construction on ancestral agricultural land that had been designated as a ‘No Development Zone’ under the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines.

The second accused is already in judicial custody, and the investigation continues as authorities search for other individuals involved in the conspiracy.

According to the police, Jadhav allegedly worked with the main accused, Rupa Mehta, and other officials to manipulate the original land records.

The complainant, Vaibhav Thakur, along with his family, owns several plots of ancestral agricultural land in Erangal, Malad (West).

Thakur first discovered illegal construction on his family’s land in 2016. When he approached the site, workers directed him to Rupa Mehta, who was allegedly overseeing the unauthorized development.

Despite Thakur’s complaints to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Malvani police station in 2016, no immediate action was taken.

In 2018 and 2019, Thakur obtained land maps from the City Survey Office, which revealed alterations to the original documents. The altered maps showed buildings on plots that had previously been marked as vacant.

On September 28, 2018, the land records sent a report that included property documents with altered wording, changing the designation of the ‘No Development Zone,’ according to a crime branch officer.

Thakur then filed a complaint of forgery against the unidentified officials involved in the document manipulation.

In 2021, the Goregaon police registered an offense for cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy, and although Rupa Mehta was not arrested, the chargesheet was filed against her, and the investigation continued.

Later, Thakur filed a criminal writ petition with the high court, requesting the transfer of the investigation from the Goregaon police to the crime branch. As a result, the special investigation team was formed.

Authorities have stated that the scam involves numerous individuals, including government officials, who are accused of forging documents to facilitate illegal construction.