NAVI MUMBAI: Four members of a family from Panvel have been booked for allegedly forging documents and siphoning off ₹2.44 crore compensation meant for co-heirs in a land acquisition case linked to a power transmission project.
The police have identified the accused as Suday Jaywant Gharat, 61, Ranjit Gopinath Gharat, 62, Anil Sitaram Gharat, 77, and Anil Dwarakanath Gharat, 65, all residents of Dhanasar village in Panvel taluka.
According to the police, the complainant Deepika Dinesh Kantak, 51, a Nashik resident, alleged that the fraud relates to compensation awarded for land acquired by Mumbai Urja Marg Limited at Dhanasar village. The land is jointly owned by multiple heirs from the Gharat family. While there were 52 legitimate heirs, the accused allegedly fabricated records to show 64 beneficiaries, enabling them to manipulate the disbursal process.
“The accused prepared a false affidavit and also obtained the complainant’s mother’s signature under false pretences. They also forged the complainant’s signature,” said a police officer from CBD Belapur Police Station.
The police said that the forged documents were allegedly submitted at the Mumbai Urja Marg Limited’s office in Sector 15, CBD Belapur, between December 4, 2024 and April 4, 2025. Based on these, compensation of ₹3.65 crore was sanctioned. ₹2.44 crore of this amount was allegedly diverted and claimed by the accused in their own names, depriving other rightful heirs.
On learning the matter, Kantak approached the police on Sunday, following which a case was registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Bhartitya Nyaya Sanhita, for forgery, use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.