2025:BHC-AS:54692 CHITRA D b S y A ig N C it J H a A l I l Y T y R s A igned

SANJAY SONAWANE

SONAWANEDate:

2025.12.12

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY

CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

Criminal Bail Application No.3820 of 2025

Ajit Tulshiram Bhandari

Aged 45 years, Occ:- Advocate

Residing at House No. 176, Boradpada

Road, Mulgaon Village, Ambernath

District, Thane-421503

(At Present Taloja Central Prison) … Applicant

versus

The State of Maharashtra

Through Public Prosecutor, High Court

Mumbai. … Respondent

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Mr Niranjan Mundargi, a/w Ms Keral Mehta i/b Mr Namdeo

Gore, for the applicant.

Mr S V Walve, APP, for the respondent/ State.

HC/2144 VV Shinde (Khandeshwar Police Station), a/w HC/1783 SD Mumbaikar, Nhava Sheva Police Station, Navi

Mumbai, is present.

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Coram: R.N. Laddha, J. Date: 11 December 2025.

P.C.:

By this application, the applicant (accused No.8) seeks bail

in connection with CR No.146 of 2024, registered at Nhava Sheva Police Station, Navi Mumbai, Raigad, for offences punishable under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 474 and

120B of the Indian Penal Code.

2. It is the case of the prosecution that the various pieces and parcels of land bearing Survey Nos.1/17, 2/19, 1/20, 3/1, 20/8, 33/3, 33/4, 33/5, 33/6, 33/7, 33/8, 40/2, 40/3, 40/1, 44/2, 51/1 and 20/9, situated at Village Mauje Harichandra Pimpale, and Survey No.16/3, located at Village Vidhane, Taluka Uran, District Raigad, were at all material times recorded and registered in the name of the Deputy Custodian of Evacuee Property, a statutory authority. It is further contended that a portion of the aforesaid lands was subsequently notified for and acquired by the State for the Virar–Alibaug Corridor Project, thereby bringing the said properties within the ambit of land acquisition proceedings.

3. The prosecution further alleges that, on or about 9 October 2020, one Gelaram Bhuromal applied to the Tahsildar, Uran, seeking mutation of his name in the 7/12 extract in respect of the said lands, by falsely representing that the lands had been lawfully allotted to him by the State of Maharashtra under an alleged allotment letter dated 25 April 1985. Acting upon such misrepresentation, the revenue authorities effected mutation in his favour, resulting in the entry of his name in the property records under Mutation Entry No.1555. During the pendency of the land acquisition proceedings, another individual, also identifying himself as Gelaram Bhuromal, approached the Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), Raigad, asserting that Gelaram Bhuromal whose name appeared in the 7/12 extract was a fictitious and non-existent person, and thereby laid a rival claim over the said properties. Consequently, two impostors came forward asserting mutually contradictory claims of ownership and entitlement over the same lands. Upon inquiry, it was revealed that the first Gelaram Bhuromal had, on the strength of the forged allotment letter, alienated portions of the said lands by executing sale transactions in favour of various purchasers, including Haresh Hemani and Hardik Katariya, for a consideration of Rs.1,36,63,700/-.

4. It is further the case of the prosecution that, in the course of investigation into the present offence, it transpired that the accused persons, acting in concert and in furtherance of a common criminal conspiracy, had fabricated and forged the purported allotment letter dated 25 April 1985 and other allied documents, with the deliberate intent to unlawfully transfer the said lands and to dishonestly receive the proceeds thereof. The investigation further disclosed that the present applicant, along with the co-accused, aided the main accused, Santosh Marade, in the preparation, creation, and use of the forged allotment letter, facilitating the commission of the alleged offences.

5. Mr Niranjan Mundargi, the learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the applicant, asserting the applicant’s innocence, contends that the applicant has been falsely implicated in the crime. He submits that the