Retired Government Official Arrested in Malad Land Scam Involving Forged Records and Illegal Constructions

A retired employee from the City Survey Office, 64-year-old Devdas Jairam Jadhav, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a multi-crore land scam in Malad (West), Mumbai. This arrest marks the third in the case, which is under investigation by a special team from the crime branch. The team was formed following a directive from the high court to probe the use of forged documents linked to the City Land Survey Office.

The scam revolves around unauthorized construction on ancestral agricultural plots classified as ‘No Development Zone’ (NDZ) under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The alleged illegal activity included the manipulation of land records and fraudulent construction on land that should have remained vacant under zoning regulations.

The first arrest in the case was that of a tout, Narsim Puttavallu, who was apprehended for manipulating land use regulations. The second accused, currently in judicial custody, is also suspected of playing a key role in the conspiracy. Jadhav, the retired official, is now accused of colluding with the main conspirator, Rupa Mehta, along with other officials, to manipulate and forge original land records to facilitate illegal constructions.

The case came to light in 2016 when complainant Vaibhav Thakur, a co-owner of ancestral agricultural land in Erangal, Malad (West), noticed unauthorized construction on his family’s plots. Upon inquiring at the site, he was directed to Rupa Mehta, identified as the main accused, who was allegedly overseeing the illegal activity.

Thakur lodged complaints with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Malvani police station in 2016. However, no significant action was taken at the time. In 2018 and 2019, Thakur secured maps from the City Survey Office, which revealed alterations to the original drawings. These changes falsely indicated the presence of structures on land that was originally marked as vacant.

In September 2018, the City Survey Office submitted a report containing property documents with visible alterations. Key modifications included the removal of NDZ markings, effectively misrepresenting the land's status to allow construction. Based on these findings, Thakur filed a complaint of forgery against unidentified officials from the land records department.

In 2021, the Goregaon police registered a case under various charges, including cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and criminal conspiracy. Despite filing a chargesheet against Rupa Mehta, the main accused, no arrests were made. Dissatisfied with the progress, Thakur approached the high court in 2024, filing a criminal writ petition to transfer the investigation to the crime branch.

The high court approved the request, leading to the formation of a special investigation team to look into the scam. The crime branch has since arrested three individuals, including Jadhav, and is pursuing leads to identify other conspirators.

According to crime branch officials, the scam involves multiple individuals, including government employees, who allegedly conspired to forge documents, manipulate land records, and enable unauthorized construction. Investigations are currently focused on identifying all those involved and gathering further evidence against the accused. 

Further developments in the investigation are expected as the crime branch continues its probe.