NAVI MUMBAI: The economic offences wing of the Navi Mumbai crime branch has booked Pandit Rathod, owner of the Mahaland Group, for allegedly cheating 37 investors who had paid amounts totalling over ₹1 crore to purchase plots and houses. The developer has dismissed the allegations, claiming that the investors have been manipulated by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)’s Navi Mumbai leaders who had attempted to blackmail him earlier. The MNS leaders also denied the allegations by the developer.
The
NAVI MUMBAI: The economic offences wing of the Navi Mumbai crime branch has booked Pandit Rathod, owner of the Mahaland Group, for allegedly cheating 37 investors who had paid amounts totalling over ₹1 crore to purchase plots and houses. The developer has dismissed the allegations, claiming that the investors have been manipulated by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)’s Navi Mumbai leaders who had attempted to blackmail him earlier. The MNS leaders also denied the allegations by the developer.
The sale of plots in the Uran region, which will soon be connected to Mumbai via the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), has been mired in controversies over the years. There have been allegations of bogus sales and investors being duped, a charge denied by the developers involved in the dealings. Several of these companies have been advertising even on regional television channels, with their owners figuring prominently in photographs with senior political leaders to prove their clout.
The case against Rathod was registered at Belapur police station by Ghansoli resident Pramod Alte and 36 other investors. The FIR, a copy of which is with HT, states that the complainants had invested in plots and houses offered by Mahaland since 2018 in Uran taluka’s Ranjanpada area. Over ₹1 crore was collectively invested by the home buyers.
The investors had been assured sale documents, but despite repeated follow-ups, did not get these. With no documents and no progress in construction, they decided to cancel their transactions and demanded a refund. However, just 12 investors received part-payment while 25 others received nothing.
“I had booked in Mahaland’s Metro City project in Thane in 2015, paid ₹4.5 lakh and was assured possession in 2018,” said Alte. “They kept making excuses for not delivering. In 2020, I was offered 1 guntha of land with a 2-BHK house. Again there was no registration and no work at the site for a year. When I finally created a group of others like me, I was told I could go and complain anywhere I liked.”
Senior citizen Rajshekahar Dakdar, who invested ₹7.55 lakh in 2018, said that he received neither an MoU nor a refund when he asked for one in 2019. Qutbuddin Shaikh, who paid ₹9.6 lakh in 2019, said he had bought three gunthas of land and paid by cheque. “Due to Covid issues, I cancelled the deal in 2020,” he said. “Ever since, I have been going to their offices in Vashi, Juinagar and Belapur to no avail.”
Pradeep Sorte, who claimed to have received just ₹4.5 lakh of the ₹19 lakh he paid in 2018, said that MNS leaders Gajanan Kale and Akshay Bhosale had helped the investors get the case registered. “Action was taken after we met the police commissioner,” confirmed Bhosale. “Reportedly there are 300 to 400 more such victims. All these people were lured with huge advertisements offering 1 guntha free with 4 gunthas near MTHL at just ₹2 lakh a guntha.”
When asked about Rathod’s allegations of blackmail, Bhosle dismissed them. “We are working only in the interest of the people,” he said. “If the police do not take the requisite action, our leader Raj Thackeray will take up the case, and we will get justice for the investors in MNS style.”
When contacted, police officials refused to speak on the grounds that the case was being investigated.
Refunds are in process: Rathod
Pandit Rathod has dismissed all allegations made against him, claiming that the investors have been manipulated by MNS leaders Gajanan Kale and Abhishek Bhosle, as their attempt to blackmail him and extort money from him had failed.
“Kale and Bhosle had earlier demanded ₹15 lakh from me, which I refused to give,” he said. “They even barged into my office and took away some documents, with which they contacted some investors and manipulated them to complain against me. They assured them larger sums than what is due to them.”
Rathod said he had already delivered over 40,000 houses/plots and had over 1,000 employees. “Why should I buckle to blackmail when I have done nothing wrong?” he asked. “I have already complained against them. They know they are in trouble now and hence have come up with these allegations.”
The builder claimed the process of refund was on, and 60 percent of investors had got their money. “But there are several who have not completed the due process,” he said.
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