Police in Thane have launched an investigation into a land fraud case where five individuals allegedly used forged documents to illegally transfer state-owned land, highlighting concerns over property embezzlement and government oversight.
A case has been registered against five people, including a former government employee, for allegedly transferring state-owned land using forged documents in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday.
According to the police, the accused misled the registrar's office and used outdated land records to transfer plots under the Birwadi Gram Panchayat in Shahpur taluka.
The case was registered following a complaint by the deputy collector and administrator (new towns) of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
"The complainant alleged that the accused conspired to embezzle government property by attaching old 7/12 extracts from 2010, despite having no legal ownership of the land. They selected incorrect legal articles to facilitate the illegal transfer of government-owned land into private hands," an official said.
The police have named Ajay Vedprakash Chhabra, Rajni Ajay Chhabra, Mangesh Mahadev Kolekar, Reena Ratnesh Jain, a partner in a construction firm and B S Gaikwad, the then in-charge joint deputy registrar of Bhiwandi, in the FIR registered under sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
"The fraud took place on August 1, 2025, at the Joint Deputy Registrar-2 office in Bhiwandi. By misleading the state machinery, the accused managed to transfer the land and embezzle government funds," he said.
A probe is underway, and no arrest has been made so far, he added.