Two Government Employees Arrested for Alleged Tampering of CRZ Land Maps in Mumbai

A special investigation team (SIT) probing land document manipulation in Mumbai has arrested a city survey officer and a senior clerk for allegedly altering coastal regulation zone (CRZ) and no development zone (NDZ) records. The arrests were made in connection with efforts to aid builders and developers in acquiring restricted land.

The Mumbai crime branch’s Unit 2 arrested city survey inspector Sambhuraje Babanrao Wable, 47, while Unit 7 arrested senior clerk Sanjay Dhodke, 54. Both were charged with manipulating official land records and producing fraudulent CRZ maps. Investigators found that Wable, who was the complainant in a previous case against land grabbers, had allegedly signed and issued multiple forged maps. The accused were presented before the court and remanded to police custody.

Earlier, authorities had arrested several others, including civil contractor Narashim Puddhavallu, land records office assistants Devidas Jadhav and Jayesh Gupta, retired constable Soma Marade, and two intermediaries, Mohammed Usman and Imam Shaikh. Investigations revealed that at least 165 land maps from areas such as Marve, Madh Island, and Versova had been tampered with to misrepresent zoning restrictions.

The fraud came to light in 2016 when a Malad-based farmer, Vaibhav Thakur, lodged an FIR against illegal constructions on his agricultural land and adjoining plots. He discovered that official records had been altered to show CRZ and NDZ properties as developable zones. However, his complaints did not initially lead to significant action from local authorities.

According to the SIT, the city survey office had eight original maps that falsely depicted construction activity as of December 31, 2019. Wable allegedly issued duplicate copies of these maps, which bore the signature of the Goregaon municipal land survey officer. Investigators found that he had signed at least 22 forged maps. His lawyer, Sudhir Bhardwaj, argued in court that Wable had been wrongly implicated.

Following a directive from the Bombay High Court, the SIT intensified its inquiry and found evidence of widespread manipulation. Officials said the accused had enabled illegal land transactions by altering zoning records, benefiting developers who sought to bypass CRZ and NDZ regulations.

Authorities continue to examine how many properties were acquired or developed based on fraudulent records. The SIT is working to determine the full extent of the scheme and whether more officials were involved. The investigation remains ongoing, with officials reviewing additional documents and questioning suspects linked to the case.