Real Estate Agent Arrested in Palghar for Land Grabbing and Illegal Sales
A 48-year-old real estate agent has been arrested for allegedly encroaching upon and illegally selling land belonging to another individual in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Wednesday. The accused, Surendra Pratap Singh, alias Randha, allegedly took possession of 210 gunthas (nearly 5.25 acres) of land belonging to the complainant in Rajavali village between 2020 and 2025, an official said, the PTI reported.
Singh sold the land to a builder without completing the agreed transaction with the landowner, said senior inspector Pramod Badakh of Crime Unit-IV of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police. Subsequently, an unauthorized chawl was constructed on the land, and Singh sold the units, thereby cheating both the complainant and the buyers, the official said, the news agency reported.
When the complainant approached the accused demanding payment for his land, he was abused and threatened with dire consequences, including death threats, the official added. A case was registered against Singh at Waliv police station on April 2 under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cheating, criminal intimidation, and assault.
According to PTI, Singh has been remanded in police custody till April 10. Police said a background check revealed that the accused is involved in at least 11 cases. Further investigation is underway.
In a similar ongoing incident, the inquiry report on the Pune land deal was presented in the state legislative assembly. It stated that taking action against NCP leader (now Rajya Sabha member) Parth Pawar is beyond its scope, leaving any criminal investigation to the police. After controversy erupted over the purchase of government land by a company where Parth is a partner, not only was the deal cancelled, but it turns out the firm will still have to pay stamp duty, as reported in November 2026.
The issue came to light after it was revealed that the plot belonged to the government and could not legally be sold, and the company was also exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty. The controversy centers on the sale of 40 acres of government land in Pune's upscale Mundhwa area to Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Parth Pawar is a partner. Following public outcry, the state government had set up a committee, headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue), to probe the matter and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
