The Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police has registered a case involving an alleged land acquisition compensation scam valued at over 60.30 crore rupees in Borivali. Investigators have initiated proceedings against a former land acquisition officer, a private individual, and several unidentified persons following allegations of cheating, forgery, and the manipulation of government records. The case centers on the suspected use of forged documents and fake powers of attorney to illegally divert government funds intended for legitimate landowners. This matter was initially handled at the Kherwadi Police Station before being transferred to the Economic Offences Wing due to the serious nature of the financial fraud.
Alleged manipulation of official land records
The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Prashant Subhash Dhage, the Sub-Divisional Officer of the Western Suburbs division in Bandra. According to the First Information Report, the disputed property involves Survey Numbers 456, 458, and 458 (1 to 10) situated in Borivali village. These land parcels originally belonged to the Devrukhkar family and their legal heirs. The Economic Offences Wing has named Suresh Devendra Dyanmothe, also known as Jhanamote, and former Sub-Divisional and Land Acquisition Officer Umesh Birari in the probe. Authorities allege that through a criminal conspiracy, official records were manipulated to fraudulently insert the name of Jhanamote as a beneficiary of the acquisition process.
Wrongful disbursal of government compensation funds
Official records indicate that after a land acquisition award was formally announced on January 20, 2020, a total compensation amount of 60,30,75,052 rupees was disbursed. Investigators claim that this payment was wrongfully directed to the accused through the use of fabricated documents. This process not only resulted in the misappropriation of a significant amount of public money but also caused direct financial loss to the rightful owners of the Borivali land. The case has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 409 for criminal breach of trust by a public servant, along with charges of forgery and cheating. Relevant provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, have also been applied.
Forensic examination of financial payment trails
The Economic Offences Wing is currently investigating whether other government officials, private intermediaries, or document agents played a role in the execution of the fraud. Detectives suspect that the alteration of sensitive records and the bypass of verification procedures were carried out in a highly coordinated manner. As part of the ongoing inquiry, digital records, land ownership papers, and banking transactions will undergo forensic examination to establish a clear payment trail. Authorities are working to trace the movement of the siphoned funds to determine how the money was utilized after it was disbursed. Financial analysts suggest that the high value of land in Mumbai makes such compensation systems vulnerable to organized crime if digital audit mechanisms are not strictly enforced.
