Thane

Police have registered a case against five persons, including a former government employee, for allegedly transferring state-owned land using forged documents in Maharashtra’s Thane district, officials said on Friday.

According to police, the accused allegedly misled the registrar’s office and used outdated land records to transfer plots under the Birwadi Gram Panchayat in Shahpur.

The case was registered following a complaint filed by the deputy collector and administrator (new towns) of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

“The complainant alleged that the accused conspired to embezzle government property by attaching old 7/12 extracts from 2010, despite having no legal ownership of the land. They selected incorrect legal articles to facilitate the illegal transfer of government-owned land into private hands,” a police official said.

The FIR names Ajay Vedprakash Chhabra, Rajni Ajay Chhabra, Mangesh Mahadev Kolekar, Reena Ratnesh Jain, a partner in a construction firm, and B S Gaikwad, the then in-charge joint deputy registrar of Bhiwandi.

The case has been registered under sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police said the alleged fraud took place on August 1, 2025, at the Joint Deputy Registrar-2 office in Bhiwandi.

“By misleading the state machinery, the accused managed to transfer the land and embezzle government funds,” the official said.

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Police said a probe is underway and no arrests have been made so far.