Nagpur: Trouble erupted for city’s famed builder Chhagan Patel on Thursday as the sleuths of Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested him for committing fraud and criminal conspiracy in a land deal. Patel who runs Gigeo Constructions and reportedly have strong influence in politics, have allegedly prepared fake power of attorney and sold the land which actually belongs to some other family. Besides Patel, the officers have also booked Director of Fuel Coal Corporation India Limited Saurabh Jugalkishore Agrawal on similar charges.
Investigators informed that Patel (57) sold a Plot No. 38, ad-measuring 5,038 sq ft (499.86 square metre), Survey No. 319/1 to 319/4 and 320, City Survey No. 101, SheetNo. 284, on KDK College Road for Rs 1.45 crore to Saurabh Agrawal (31) allegedly on the basis of forged power of attorney on April 6 this year. Sub-Registrar (3) Mahal is also likely to be booked in this connection for his alleged involvement in the fraud.
A resident of Ramdaspeth, behind Hotel Tuli Imperial, Patel was summoned at Crime Branch by senior police officers for questioning and was later arrested. Agrawal, who is a resident of 926-A, Funwanti Palace, Deshpande Layout, Central Avenue, is at large.
According to Police, about 38 acre land on K D K College Road in Nandanvan area belonging to Radheshyam Narayan Chaudhary was acquired by the government under the Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) Act (now repealed) some years ago. Radheshyam Chaudhary and 13 members of his family had allegedly entered into an agree-ment with Patel’s Gigeo Constructions to release their ancestral land and develop it. As per the agreement, Patel was to sell 50 per cent of the property after developing it and remaining share of 50 per cent would be of the Chaudhary’s. Accordingly, a total of 14 members of the Chaudhary family had given power of attorney to Patel in this regard in 1998. Meanwhile, seven of the 14 members of the Chaudhary family died. Patel allegedly in connivance with some others prepared fake power of attorney of the deceased and fraudulently sold one of the
plots to accused Saurabh Agrawal for Rs 1.45 crore. Dr Rajeshree Ramlal Choudhary (39), one of the stake-holders in the property, who stays with her mother, approached senior police officials and lodged a complaint against Patel, Agrawal and others.
Other stakeholders in the said properly including Dr Raj eshree’s brother and sister are in the United States. After conducting inquiries and verification of documents, cops registered offences under Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (Forgery of valuable security), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document), 474 (Having possession of document described in Section 466 or 467, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine) and 120b (Criminal conspiracy) against Patel, Agrawal and others at Nandanvan Police Station.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sambhaji Kadam is supervising the investigations.
