Panvel Police Register Cheating and Forgery Case in Major Land Fraud
Panvel City police have taken decisive action by registering a case of cheating and forgery against four individuals, including two estate agents. The accused are alleged to have orchestrated a sophisticated fraud, duping a Kharghar-based builder of nearly Rs 2.3 crore. The scheme involved the fraudulent sale of a 47 guntha land parcel, approximately 4,755 square meters, located in Karanjade.
Deceased Landowners and International Connections
The land in question originally belonged to brothers Nathan and Shalom Eliyahu Chincholkar, who were natives of Panvel but had migrated to Israel decades ago. Both brothers passed away in Israel, with Nathan dying in 2011 and Shalom in 2016. Their deaths created a complex ownership situation that the fraudsters exploited.
Builder's Complaint Details the Elaborate Scam
In his formal complaint, builder Prashant Patekar, aged 55, outlined how he was ensnared in this elaborate deception. In 2024, estate agent Amrit Thakur approached Patekar, informing him that the 47 guntha land at survey number 81/2 in Karanjade was available for sale. Thakur claimed that the property documents had been provided by another estate agent from Thane, Suraj Shinde.
Patekar, exercising due diligence, verified these documents through a lawyer and found them to appear authentic. Subsequently, a meeting was arranged at Patekar's office, attended by the two purported landowners Nathan and Shalom, along with Shinde, an unidentified agent, and Thakur.
Formalization of the Fraudulent Transaction
The land sale deal was finalized at Rs 5 lakh per guntha, leading to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. A purchase notice for the property was published in a local newspaper on June 6, 2024, inviting any objections. The transaction progressed to the registration of the land purchase sale deed agreement at the sub-registrar office in Panvel-1 on August 23, 2024.
During this registration, the imposters submitted forged property documents along with counterfeit Aadhaar and PAN cards. Between June 5, 2024, and October 7, 2025, Patekar transferred Rs 2.3 crore to the supposed landowners through cheque and RTGS payments, believing the transaction to be legitimate.
Discovery of the Fraud and Legal Notices
The fraud began to unravel on August 18, 2025, when Orian Moses Penkar sent a notice to Patekar. Penkar, who had been granted power of attorney by Shalom's son Bechalel at the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv on July 16, 2025, accused Patekar of fraudulently purchasing the land. When Patekar confronted the supposed landowners through Shinde, they dismissed the complaint as false.
Further complicating matters, Aslam Munshi approached the police on behalf of Bethel Israeli Trust's chief trustee Moses E Jacob Korlekar, alleging that the individuals claiming to be landowners were impostors.
Police Investigation and Revelations
Police summoned all parties involved for investigation into the land sale application. However, Shinde and the three co-accused failed to appear for several months, hindering the investigation. Through persistent enquiries, Patekar discovered the truth: the original farmers, Nathan and Shalom, had indeed migrated to Israel decades earlier and died there.
Their legal heirs resided in Israel and America, with Shalom's son Bechalel having granted power of attorney to Penkar. Nathan's son Emil Bezanmin, also known as Chincholkar, and his wife Daisy traveled from Israel to participate in the application inquiry. After examining their authentic documents, Patekar became convinced he had been cheated and filed a formal complaint against Shinde and the three co-accused on February 16.
Police Statement and Current Status
Police Sub-Inspector Sachin Powar provided insight into the case, stating, "We are actively looking for Shinde and his aides. During our investigation, Thakur claimed that he was unaware that Shinde had forged the property documents and that the landowners were impostors. Based on this claim, he has not been named as an accused in the First Information Report."
The case highlights significant vulnerabilities in property transaction verification processes and underscores the importance of thorough due diligence in high-value real estate deals, particularly those involving international heirs and complex ownership histories.
