Pune: Software firm owner cheated in land deal by forging documents and hiring goons; Rama Group’s Moti Panjabi, 18 others booked; case registered on Commissioner of Police’s consent
Pune: Rama Group’s Moti Panjabi and 18 others have been booked in a cheating case. It relates to a land parcel at Tathawade, which was a reward (inam) to the ancestors of its original owner during the Peshwa period. After a court ruling, the land was bought by the current owner.
However, a baseless litigation was made and the land was arbitrarily sold. Goons were hired who tried to take possession of the land. Thus, an owner of a software company was cheated.
A case has been registered against the accused at the Lashkar Police Station. It is important that Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar has intervened and has given his assent to register the case in this regard.
Rajiv Aurora (51), resident of Sirona, Baner Hills, lodged a complaint. Therefore, Elephanta Realty’s (Rama Group) Moti Udharam Panjabi, Raju Ram Panjabi, Jitendra Sundardas Panjabi, Naresh Ram Panjabi, Nilesh Shrikant Joshi, Dattatreya Dnyanoba Pingal, Laxman Pinalmal Kataria, Badal Balasaheb Ghaste, Kiran Bhalchandra Thatte, Uday Bhalchandra Thatte, Mahesh Ravindra Gadgil, Vishal Shantaram Alha, Dhananjay Mukund Lele, Priyavanda Sushilkumar Marathe, Shriram Sushilkumar Marathe, Soumitra Sushilkumar Marathe, Prakash Bhikamchand Chhajed, Abhijit Narendra Kate, and Sandeep Sahebrao Pawar have been booked. The incident took place from September 2021 till date.
According to the police, complainant Rahul Aurora runs a software development firm. The Peshwa had rewarded the 36 hectare 42 R land at Tathawade to Narayan Vishwanath Bhat (Thatte) in 1769. The government took possession of the land under the Maharashtra Inam Abolition Act in 1953. The State Government’s name was registered on the 7/12 extract. Narayan Bhat’s descendant Narayan Laxman Thatte filed a suit in the court pleading to register his name.
The verdict was given in favour of Thatte in 1974 in the Sessions Court and later in 1981 in the High Court. Thus, Thatte became the legitimate owner of the land. Later, the complainant’s father, Rajiv Aurora, bought the 34 hectare and 35 R land out of 36 hectares. A 6-pc share of the land was also bought from Janardan Ramchandra Agashe and his family in 1988. Narayan Thatte’s share was bought from his inheritor through an agreement to buy. Aurora set up a compound and appointed a security guard at the land. The remaining 1 hectare 20 R land belonged to Bhide and Sukadikar and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Since the NHAI did not register its name on the 7/12 extract, it shows the names of 17 people, including Narayan Thatte and his descendants. The share belonging to Bhide and Sukadikar of 1.20 hectare has been bought by Vardhman Developers.
In 1995, Indirabai Waman Thatte and her family members claimed that they had a 2/3rd share in the land bought by Aurora. They filed a suit in the court to get their share. After checking documents belonging to the British era, it was found that Indirabai Thatte’s husband Waman Thatte’s great-grandfather Narayan Thatte was not adopted by Nilkanth Shastri. There was no proof of the adoption. Therefore, the adopted son’s rights were rejected. They had no stake in the land and still they made the litigation and prolonged the case. They decided to reconcile and started negotiating.
Since Rama Group was in search of a land, the Thattes proposed to sell 5-acre land to Rama Group. They held meetings to seal the deal. With an intention to grab the land, Kiran Thatte, Uday Thatte and Mahesh Gadgil signed a deal with Elephanta Realty’s (Rama Group) Jitendra Panjabi and Raju Panjabi.
The Thattes had nothing to do with the land. Their names did not appear on the 7/12 extract of the land. And yet they sold the land to Elephanta Realty. They hired goons to take possession of the land. Moreover, Priyamvada Marathe and others, whose names were not removed from the 7/12 extract, took wrong advantage and sold the land to Vardhaman Group’s Prakash Chhajed. They hired Abhijit Kate and Sandip Pawar to take possession of the land. These persons prepared fake documents and tried to grab the land, stated the complaint. The Economic Offences Wing is investigating further.
