Mumbai: A disturbing case of alleged harassment and attempted fraud has surfaced in the city after a motorist claimed he was chased by a group posing as loan recovery agents on the Eastern Express Highway. The incident, which took place in broad daylight, has raised concerns about public safety and the handling of such complaints by authorities.

The victim, Sarabjit Chadha, shared his ordeal through a detailed thread on the social media platform X, describing how he was pursued by five unidentified men riding two motorcycles around 4:45 pm. According to Chadha, the men attempted to force him to stop his car by alleging that he had unpaid loan dues and pending EMIs linked to his vehicle.

Chadha maintained that the claims were entirely false, stating that his car carries no outstanding loan. When he refused to stop, the men allegedly began chasing his vehicle aggressively, engaging in dangerous driving and intimidation tactics in an apparent attempt to coerce him into pulling over.

Fearing for his safety, Chadha drove directly to the Chunabhatti police chowki. Upon noticing the presence of police personnel, two of the alleged pursuers reportedly fled the scene. The remaining three individuals stayed back and attempted to justify their actions by presenting details on a mobile application, claiming it showed a loan linked to Chadha’s vehicle.

However, Chadha pointed out a discrepancy, while the vehicle registration number matched, the app identified the car as a Honda City, whereas his vehicle was of a completely different make. This raised further suspicion about the authenticity of the claims and the intent of the group.

Police personnel initially responded by calling for backup. One of the accused fled, while another allegedly began apologising. The third individual reportedly made phone calls as the situation escalated. Chadha was then taken to the police station, where one of the suspects was briefly detained and others were asked to produce identification and vehicle documents.

The situation took a turn when one of the men who had fled earlier returned with a group of more than six individuals, including a person allegedly linked to a political party. Chadha claimed that following their arrival, the approach at the police station shifted. Instead of proceeding with a formal complaint or filing a non-cognisable (NC) offence, he was reportedly persuaded to settle the matter.

After nearly four hours at the police station, Chadha said he was mentally exhausted and under pressure due to concerns from his family. He eventually agreed to accept a written apology from the accused and no official complaint was registered.

While Chadha later expressed gratitude towards the police for their initial assistance, the incident has sparked questions about organised road scams and the influence of external pressures on due process. Mumbai Police has not yet issued an official statement on the matter.

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.

Mumbai: A Hawala racket was busted as the Anti-Terrorism Branch conducted raids at three locations in Mumbai’s Kurar area on April 8.

During the operation, they seized Rs 12.5 lakh cash, multiple fake passports, 9 mobile phones, a laptop, an iPad, and extensive documents, including bank wire transfer records. Authorities are probing a possible terror funding angle in the operation.

Earlier in March, a joint operation conducted by the police and the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) detained two Ugandan women from the Vakola area for allegedly residing in India without valid documents.

The detained women were identified as Nakayondo Rose (37) and Kemigisa Proscovia (26). According to police sources, the duo had been living in the Kalina area of Mumbai for the past few years but did not possess valid visas or necessary legal documents to stay in the country. Acting on specific inputs about their prolonged illegal stay, police carried out a targeted raid in the area.

Prio to that, in February, the Mumbai Police, in coordination with the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC), intensified their crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi nationals residing in the city, detaining more than 30 individuals over the recent week as part of an ongoing verification and deportation drive.