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The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is set to demolish 65 illegal buildings in Dombivli, affecting approximately 6,500 homebuyers. These structures were built using forged MahaRERA certificates and fake building plans. The scam, exposed in 2022 by architect Sandeep Patil, led to legal action and the arrest of 15 individuals. Despite residents seeking regularisation, their applications were rejected due to non-compliance with legal norms. The Bombay High Court upheld the demolition order, prompting KDMC to issue eviction notices. Meanwhile, a Special Investigating Team (SIT) is examining the involvement of influential figures and has frozen the bank accounts of implicated developers.
The Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is preparing to demolish 65 buildings in Dombivli, following a court order. These structures were deemed illegal after developers fraudulently obtained MahaRERA certificates and submitted fake building plans. As a result, approximately 6,500 homebuyers face displacement. Advertisement
Affected residents have urged state authorities to intervene, asserting they were unaware of the fraudulent nature of their properties. Many purchased flats after verifying building plan approvals, MahaRERA certificates, and housing loans sanctioned by a nationalised bank. Some even benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme. However, KDMC later declared these buildings unlawful, leading the Bombay High Court to order their demolition. Homeowners have accused builders, KDMC officials, and MahaRERA authorities of negligence, arguing that timely intervention could have prevented the situation.
The fraudulent scheme was uncovered in 2022 when architect Sandeep Patil discovered that certain builders were selling flats in unauthorised buildings by forging MahaRERA certificates. After KDMC failed to act on his complaint, Patil escalated the matter to the High Court. Investigations later revealed that builders had fabricated building plan documents between 2019 and 2022 to obtain MahaRERA approvals. Subsequently, KDMC lodged two FIRs, leading to the formation of a Special Investigating Team (SIT) by Thane police. So far, 15 individuals, including builders and those involved in document forgery, have been arrested.
In November last year, the Bombay High Court, while hearing Patil's plea, ordered the demolition of the illegal buildings. Residents sought time to regularise their properties, and the court granted a deadline of early February this year. However, during a hearing in mid-February, KDMC confirmed that 38 out of 65 buildings had applied for regularisation, but all applications were rejected due to Floor Space Index (FSI) violations, inadequate margins, and other structural non-compliances. Consequently, the court reaffirmed its demolition order. Additional Municipal Commissioner Yogesh Godse confirmed that the demolition process would begin soon, with police assistance.
Following the court's directive, KDMC has issued eviction notices to 45 buildings, instructing occupants to vacate their flats within a week before demolition begins. Meanwhile, Thane's SIT, which has been investigating the matter, has frozen the bank accounts of 40 builders and submitted details of the remaining 25 developers to their respective banks for further action.
KDMC officials have stated that the 65 builders secured MahaRERA certifications for their projects using fraudulent documents. The SIT has now requested KDMC to provide details of additional projects undertaken by these developers to determine the full extent of the scam. Investigators suspect that an influential figure may have played a role in facilitating these unlawful activities. An SIT officer, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that authorities are examining all stakeholders, including landowners, developers, customers, and other parties, to uncover potential links to a common influential entity.
This case underscores the necessity of stringent checks in property approvals and the urgent need for reforms to prevent such fraud in the future.
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