ED raids -based realty baron J.M. Mhatre in a forest land scam. Illegally acquired land was sold to NHAI for ₹42 crore. FIR, financial probe, and legal action underway.
Raigad/Panvel – June 17: In a major action against alleged encroachment on government-owned forest land, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai Zone-II, on Monday morning launched raids on the residence and offices of real estate developer J.M. Mhatre, Director of JM Mhatre Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. The crackdown is linked to an FIR filed by the Uran Forest Range Officer (Alibaug Division), citing illegal land acquisition and suspicious high-value transactions.
The case—registered as FIR No. 05/09/2024 at the Panvel Police Station—has prompted the ED to initiate a money laundering probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), investigating financial irregularities tied to land transactions.
The Land Grab: 152 Hectares Under Scrutiny
As per the FIR, Mhatre allegedly grabbed forest land using fraudulent short-term (seven-day) registration deeds dating back to 2005. The disputed land comprises Group No. 427/1 (41.70 hectares) and Group No. 436/1 (110.60 hectares) in Vahal village, Panvel Taluka, Raigad district.
Out of this, a 1.86-hectare portion from Group No. 436/1 was later sold by Mhatre to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), earning him a reported ₹42.40 crore. In a related transaction, Syed Mohammad Abdul Hameed Qadri is alleged to have transferred 0.4225 hectares from Group No. 427/1 to NHAI and received ₹9.69 crore.
Raids and Seizures in Panvel, Dadar
The ED conducted simultaneous searches at two properties in Panvel and one in Dadar, Mumbai, in an effort to trace the “proceeds of crime” linked to the forest land scam. Officials stated that land ownership records, financial papers, transaction logs, bank details, and digital data are being seized for further analysis.
Legal Web Tightens
Accused individuals face charges under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Forest Conservation Act, and PMLA. Officials hinted that the financial trail could potentially expose deeper linkages with political figures and administrative insiders.
This is seen as a critical case in exposing how fraudulent land dealings, dating back nearly two decades, may have resulted in significant losses to the state exchequer and misuse of forest reserves.
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