Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A land deal that appeared routine on paper began to unravel only after months of delay, exposing an elaborate impersonation racket that investigators say relied on forged Aadhaar cards, stand-in sellers and a shadowy financial trail stretching across states.
A Deal That Raised Quiet Suspicions
In January 2025, Santosh Shivaji Vaidya, a resident of the Satara area near the Beed bypass in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, was approached by a broker with an offer that seemed straightforward: the sale of 3.84 hectares of agricultural land in Karmad. The broker, identified by police as Raju Jadhav, claimed the land belonged to Rayachuri Brahmarambha Rangadas and Rayachuri Sayanna Rangadas.
An agreement to sell was executed, and Vaidya paid ₹50 lakh as part of the transaction. The registered sale deed, however, never followed. As weeks turned into months, the accused allegedly avoided completing the formalities, prompting Vaidya to verify the ownership details independently. What emerged, investigators say, was not a delayed transaction but a carefully staged deception involving impersonation and forged documents.
Certified Cyber Crime Investigator Course Launched by Centre for Police Technology
Impersonation at the Core
According to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the fraud hinged on misrepresentation of identity. Investigators found that while the original landowner, Sayanna Rayachuri, is a man, a woman was produced in his place during the agreement process. Two other women were presented as co-owners. The real landowners, police said, were entirely unaware that transactions were being carried out in their names.
Police alleged that the accused deliberately used women from southern India whose names closely resembled those of the original owners, a tactic meant to reduce suspicion. Forged Aadhaar cards were prepared to support the impersonation, allowing the deal to proceed without immediate challenge.
Money Trails and Wider Patterns
The financial trail added another layer to the case. Cheques issued in fake names were allegedly encashed through a Bengaluru-based local credit society, whose operator has also been named as an accused. During the probe, the EOW uncovered a similar alleged fraud involving 75 hectares of land from the same survey number. In that instance, police said, ₹20 lakh was taken from Manoj Gatkal of Pachod through the same broker, again without the transaction being completed.
The pattern suggested a repeatable method: identify land, impersonate owners, collect advance payments, and delay registration until the deception surfaced—or the accused disappeared.
Arrests, Seizures and an Ongoing Probe
On January 23, police arrested Vaishali Raju Jadhav, 35, a resident of Phulambri, who remains in custody. Another woman allegedly involved in impersonation was identified as E Lata Suresh from Tirupati. The prime accused, Raju alias Kachru Vitthal Jadhav, was arrested days later from the Hasul T-point area following a tip-off. Police said he had been absconding since the offence and was also wanted in a 2022 case registered at Kadim Jalna police station.
An Activa scooter without a number plate and two mobile phones worth ₹28,300 were seized from him. A case of cheating and forgery has been registered at Karmad police station under multiple Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections after the EOW inquiry established large-scale Aadhaar card forgery and cheating amounting to ₹70 lakh.
Appealing to the public, Superintendent of Police Vinay Kumar Rathod urged land buyers to exercise extreme caution, warning against unusually low-priced offers and unverified agents. He emphasised the need to thoroughly check ownership documents, authenticate Aadhaar credentials and issue public notices before entering property transactions. Further investigation is being carried out by the EOW under Assistant Police Inspector Amol Satodkar.
