Mumbai, April 8: The Mumbai police have booked three brothers from Bhandup for allegedly forging affidavits and submitting false information to government authorities to fraudulently insert their names as legal heirs in official property records, including the property card and 7/12 extract. The accused are said to have subsequently sold this prime land parcel in Bhandup, currently valued at approximately Rs 450 crore.

The accused have been identified as Hitendra Shankar Gawand, Mahendra Shankar Gawand, and Narendra Shankar Gawand. Nimish Vajralal Sura, a partner in M/s Newkem Products Corporation, the company that purchased the land, has also been named as a co-accused in the case.

According to the FIR, the complaint was filed by Neeraj Prakash Malvi, 27, a resident of Thane West, who works at a private firm in Powai. He lives with his father, Prakash Malvi, 65, while his elder sister Hemangi, 29, recently got married in March 2026 and resides in Goregaon.

Neeraj’s mother, Bhavana Prakash Malvi (née Bhavana Shankar Gavand), passed away on May 9, 2005. Following her death, Neeraj and his sister, who were minors at the time, lived for a few years with their maternal uncle, Narendra Gavand.

The disputed land, located at Lake Road in Bhandup (West), bearing CTS Nos. 204 and 204/1 to 6, originally belonged to Neeraj’s grandfather, Shankar Narayan Gavand.

After his mother’s death, Neeraj’s father was allegedly assured by the three uncles that Bhavana Gavand was a legal heir and that her children would be entitled to a 5% share in the ancestral property.

The alleged fraud came to light in 2024 when Neeraj’s father initiated the process to sell a portion of the property for family needs. They discovered that the entire property had already been sold in 2010 by the three uncles to M/s Newchem Products Corporation.

Upon obtaining documents from the Mulund City Survey Office, it was revealed that shortly after Bhavana Gavand’s death, the accused brothers had submitted a false affidavit dated July 6, 2005, claiming that only they and their mother were the legal heirs of the deceased, deliberately excluding Bhavana’s children. Based on this affidavit, they allegedly got their names added to the property card and land records (7/12 extract).

Subsequently, on April 29, 2010, the brothers allegedly executed an illegal conveyance deed and sold the land to M/s Newkem Products Corporation.

The FIR further states that Nimish Sura was aware of Bhavana Gavand’s legal claim, as multiple meetings regarding the land transaction had taken place between 2003 and 2005 involving all family members, during which Bhavana had allegedly raised objections over her share.

Following Neeraj Malvi’s complaint, the Bhandup police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and have initiated further investigation.

The entire area of ​​the Methi River as well as the places where water accumulates during the monsoon in the small and big drains of Mumbai should be monitored and the garbage and sludge present in the drains should be removed on priority basis. Plan a time frame for this work and ensure that 100% cleaning of drains in Mumbai is completed by 31st May 2026 in any case. Along with this, Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Mrs. Ashwini Bhide has also directed to inspect the manholes or drains on the major storm water channels. The Mumbai Municipal Administration has started the process of cleaning the drains and rivers of Mumbai by removing the sludge. Along with the cleaning of the drain in Mumbai, the work of Methi River is also going on. Work has started at six locations under three packages.

In this backdrop, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Mr. Abhijeet Bangar today (April 8, 2026) visited the river Methi at Jetavan Adyan near MMRDA office in Bandra Kurla Complex, reviewed the ongoing sanitation work at Nehru Science Centre Drain (Ghardaravi) in Worli and North Dadra (Ghardaravi). The Commissioner enquired when the work of removing silt from Nehru Science Centre Drain in Worli (South Zone) had started and by when it would be completed. Along with this, Bhide directed that the entire area of ​​the drain where water accumulates during monsoon should be kept in mind and the garbage or silt present in the drain in its vicinity should be removed on priority basis. Municipal Corporation officers were directed to ensure 100% completion of the drain cleaning by May 31, 2026 in any case. In addition, the current condition of manholes or culverts on major rainwater drains across the city should be checked seriously. Bhide directed that care should be taken to ensure that the installed traps are in good condition. There are low-lying areas in the area of ​​Worli Naka and Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk (Sat Raasta) for water to accumulate. He also directed the Metro and Road Department to ensure that the laterals attached to the rainwater drains are maintained in good condition so that rainwater can drain at such places.

Municipal Commissioner Bhide visited the Dadar Dharavi drain. Giving information on the occasion, the concerned officials said that floating waste thrown by citizens in the Dadar Dharavi drain is a major problem. It is expected that the drains will be cleaned more than once at such places. The wall has collapsed at some places upstream of this drain. This may pose a threat to the nearby citizens. However, the concerned ward officer and the storm water drainage department should work together to repair the wall. The Commissioner said that in places in the city where citizens have a problem of throwing garbage into drains, an initiative should be taken to install nets in such drains, so that garbage can be prevented from being thrown into drains.

Drain cleaning work has been started at six places in the three packages of the Methi River. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide took package-wise information about these works. Bhide gave instructions to review the remaining period planning in terms of the package, how many vehicles and machinery have been made available, how much increase is expected in working at the expected speed, and to take necessary steps to increase the speed of work. The Municipal Commissioner said that the officers should be very insistent on the quality of silting of the Methi River, especially to maintain transparency in the entire process. He also gave instructions that it should be used properly.

Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Girish Nikam, Chief Engineer (Rainwater Channel) Kalpana Rawal, Deputy Chief Engineer Sanjay Angle along with concerned officers and engineers were present on the occasion.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has invited tenders for the auction of a strategic plot in Worli and the auction should be stopped till the state government completes its investigation into irregularities in the reconstruction of a testing laboratory on it, demanded Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Shaikh. Shaikh has written a letter to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Commissioner Ashwini Bhide in this regard. Speaking in this regard, MLA Raees Shaikh said that the municipality should formulate an auction policy in consultation with group leaders of all parties in the municipal corporation to avoid such unplanned auctions. The municipality had floated the tender despite the state government ordering an inquiry into the redevelopment work in Worli. MLA Shaikh added that the issue was raised during the recently concluded budget session of the state legislature and brought to light irregularities in the tender floated for the reconstruction of the municipal testing laboratory located at the site. Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Mishal has directed a high-level inquiry through senior officials. MLA Raees Shaikh said that going ahead with the auction during the inquiry is tantamount to insulting the state government, hence we have demanded that the auction be stopped till the inquiry is completed. MLA Raees Shaikh also expressed concern over the “temporary” decisions taken by the municipal corporation regarding the auction of public lands. He has also demanded a comprehensive and transparent auction policy from the municipal corporation. Shaikh said in a letter sent to the mayor and commissioner, “The auction should be stopped until the inquiry is completed and its findings are made public. Consultations should be initiated with the group leaders of all political parties in the municipal corporation to formulate a uniform auction policy for municipal corporation properties.”