Property dispute: Family suspects foul play in 85-year-old man’s mysterious road accident

Mumbai police are investigating the suspicious death of 85-year-old Balraj Mehra, linked to a property dispute, after a hit-and-run incident.

Mumbai: The police have launched an investigation into the suspicious death of an 85-year-old man, who was involved in a legal dispute with a builder over his Worli property, Mehra House. The family suspects foul play in what appears to be a hit-and-run incident.

Mumbai, India. Mar 19, 2025: General view of Veer Sawarkar Road near Century Bazar, where 85-year-old Balraj Mehra lost his life after being hit by a two-wheeler on Sunday, March 16, 2025. Mumbai, India. Mar 19, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

According to the police, Balraj Permanand Mehra, a resident of Asha Mahal on Peddar Road, was walking on Dr Annie Besant Road in Prabhadevi when an unidentified two-wheeler struck him. He was rushed to B Y L Nair Hospital, where he was declared dead early on Monday.

Mehra owned Mehra House, a three-storey property located on Hind Cycle Road in Worli, and frequently visited the site for inspections. His daughter, Anita Sharma, 67, has been settled in the USA since 2005, while he lived with his granddaughter in Mumbai. Sharma had arrived in India on February 16 for medical treatment and to visit her father.

On March 16, Manish Barkhada, who manages Mehra’s property, informed Sharma that her father had been knocked down by a two-wheeler near Thapar House, Babasaheb Worlikar Chowk in Worli. According to Jyoti Kudalkar, the property secretary, an eyewitness who had witnessed the accident used Mehra’s phone to call her and report the incident. Kudalkar, along with security guard Kishan Poddar, rushed to the scene and found Mehra bleeding heavily at a bus stop. They immediately took him to B Y L Nair Hospital.

Sharma, upon learning of the accident, rushed to the hospital, where she was informed that her father was in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries around 1 am on Monday.

A case has been registered against the unidentified two-wheeler driver, who fled the scene without providing medical assistance. The police have booked the driver under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash and negligent driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

Authorities are also probing a possible link between the accident and Mehra’s ongoing property dispute. Mehra had approached the Bombay High Court seeking protection, alleging that the builder had hired goons, broken into his office, and forged documents to take control of the property. The matter had been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and investigators are now reviewing its current status.

Police sources stated that the location of the accident is not covered by CCTV cameras, making it challenging to identify the vehicle involved. However, they are examining other CCTV footage in the vicinity to trace the suspect.

“We are treating all angles seriously, including the possibility of foul play due to the ongoing legal dispute. No arrests have been made yet, but we are actively pursuing leads,” said an officer from Dadar police station.