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Mumbai police have arrested estate agent Narshim Puttawallu for allegedly altering property records to enable illegal construction by Rupa and Bharat Mehta on disputed land in Malad. The case began in 2016 when landowner Vaibhav Thakur reported unauthorised construction on his ancestral plot. Investigations revealed forged documents and illegal reservation changes facilitated by Puttawallu. While charges of cheating, forgery, and conspiracy were filed against Rupa Mehta in 2021, a Special Investigation Team later identified Puttawallu's role. The case highlights concerns over fraudulent property dealings in Mumbai's suburbs, emphasising the need for stricter regulations to curb illegal construction and document manipulation.
An estate agent has been arrested by the Mumbai police for allegedly manipulating the reservation of a plot in the suburbs and facilitating its development by a businessman and his wife. The agent, Narshim Puttawallu, 50, a resident of Charkop in Malad, was apprehended by the crime branch after a lengthy investigation. Earlier, the Goregaon police had arrested Rupa Bharat Mehta, aged 64, and filed a chargesheet against her for her role in the illegal activities. This incident was earlier reported in Times of India. Advertisement
The dispute centres around Vaibhav Thakur, the complainant, who owns ancestral agricultural land in Malad. In 2016, Thakur discovered that there was illegal construction happening not only on his plot but also on several adjoining plots. Upon further investigation, Thakur learned that the construction had been carried out by Rupa Mehta. This prompted Thakur and his family members to file a complaint with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Malad police station, which led to an investigation into the matter.
The BMC issued a show-cause notice to Rupa Mehta, who initially denied any involvement in the development work. She submitted property documents in her defence, claiming no construction had been carried out on the plot in question. However, after further investigation, BMC officials discovered discrepancies in the property documents, which revealed that alterations had been made, indicating that the construction was, in fact, illegal.
In 2021, the Goregaon police registered an offence against Rupa Mehta, charging her with cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. However, despite these charges, Mehta was not arrested at the time. Instead, the police filed the chargesheet and continued the investigation into the matter. Thakur, dissatisfied with the progress of the case, filed a criminal writ petition before the High Court, requesting that the probe be transferred to the crime branch for further investigation. The court granted the request, and the crime branch subsequently established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the case more thoroughly.
The SIT's investigation uncovered crucial information that Rupa Mehta and her husband, Bharat, had sought the assistance of Narshim Puttawallu, the estate agent, to obtain property papers from the city survey office. The agent allegedly facilitated the illegal changes to the reservation of the plot, allowing the Mehtas to proceed with the construction. With the evidence gathered by the SIT, the police were able to arrest Puttawallu, and the investigation into the case continues.
This case has raised significant concerns about illegal construction practices and the manipulation of property documents in Mumbai's suburbs. The actions of the involved parties have led to questions about the integrity of the property registration and land record systems, highlighting the need for stricter regulations and monitoring to prevent such fraudulent activities in the future. The arrest of Puttawallu marks a significant step in addressing the issue, though residents and industry experts are calling for further investigation into the broader network that may be involved in such illegal activities.
In conclusion, this case highlights the growing concerns around illegal property dealings and fraudulent alterations of land records. Authorities continue to investigate further, emphasising the need for stronger regulatory oversight in the real estate sector to prevent such fraudulent activities in the future.
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