Andheri Woman Files Fraud Complaint Against Brother-in-Law and Ruparel Group Director

A significant case of alleged fraud involving a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in Kandivali West has come to light. Andheri resident Mona Kiran Mehta (58) filed a complaint accusing her brother-in-law, developer Kirti Mehta, along with Ruparel Housing Development Pvt Ltd and its director Amit Ruparel, of defrauding her of ₹22.69 crore.

The Mahim police have registered an FIR under sections of cheating, forgery, and criminal breach of trust. The case has now been transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) for further investigation.

According to the complaint, the controversy dates back to 2009, when Mona’s husband Kiran Mehta and his brother Kirti Mehta formed a partnership firm, M/s Shreeji Construction, to enter the real estate sector. The firm purchased land (CTS No. 797A, K.D. Compound, Link Road, Kandivali West) and later signed a development agreement with Sai Shraddha SRA Co-operative Housing Society to redevelop slum plots CTS No. 732, 733, and 734, covering a total area of 3,142 sq. m.

On April 9, 2009, a Development Agreement was executed between M/s Shreeji Construction (represented by Kirti Mehta) and Sai Shraddha Co-operative Housing Society. Through this agreement, the firm obtained development rights for the project.

On January 1, 2012, Kiran Mehta retired from the partnership, and his wife Mona Mehta was inducted in his place. The shareholding was fixed at 60.10% for Mona and 39.90% for Kirti. The firm later received a Letter of Intent (LOI) from the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) on September 26, 2014. In 2016, M/s Buildwell Construction, represented by Mohamad Tufel Ansari and Mohamad Sohail Ansari, was contracted under a labour arrangement for the project.

Due to financial difficulties, the partners decided to induct new investors. On February 3, 2020, Mohamad Rizwan Ansari and Mohamad Sameer Ansari of Buildwell Construction were inducted as partners in Shreeji Construction after investing ₹12 crore. The firm thus came to have four partners. Over time, some of these partners exited the firm after settlements.

In February 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Shreeji Construction, Ruparel Infraprojects, and others, under which Ruparel was to take over the project after paying ₹105 crore to the outgoing partners. Mona Mehta alleged that while her brother-in-law Kirti Mehta received his share, she was deliberately sidelined. “As per the agreement, I was entitled to ₹22.69 crore or equivalent flats. Instead, they forged my signature and thumb impression on a fake ‘Deed of Retirement and Reconstitution’ to show that I had retired from the firm,” she stated in her complaint.

Mona further alleged that the firm’s land (CTS No. 797A) was mortgaged without her consent to Catalyst Trusteeship Ltd, Pune, to raise loans. Meanwhile, Ruparel Housing and its associates allegedly went ahead with construction and sold flats worth ₹275 crore in the ongoing Sai Shraddha Skywest SRA project, keeping her rightful dues unpaid.

The Mahim Police have registered offences under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 465, 467, 468, 471 (forgery), and 34 (common intent) against Kirti Mehta, Amit Ruparel, and others. The case has been transferred to the EOW for further probe.