Attempt to grab deceased’s property through fake tax receipts thwarted in Konkanwadi

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the municipal corporation’s property tax section conducted a property survey in the name of a deceased woman and issued tax receipts with forged signatures. Without any verification of these receipts, MSEDCL transferred the electricity meter of the same property to another person, even though the electricity bills were pending.

It has now come to light that a group colluded with government officials to seize the property of the parents of Advocate Rajendra Ratnaparkhe in Kesarsinghpura (Konkanwadi), through this fraudulent scheme.

Yuvraj Baburao Sutar (46, resident of Kesar Singhpura) and former municipal corporation sub-overseer (property tax section) Sangram Vidhate have been booked in this case, and Yuvraj Sutar has been arrested.

It is learnt that Ratnaparkhe’s father had purchased a 3,600 sq. ft. plot in Kesarsinghpura from Mannalal Agrawal in 1972. In 1999, Ratnaparkhe’s father purchased two additional plots of 900 sq. ft. each from Gorabai Sandulal Telpure and Rekha Baburao Nagre. Ratnaparkhe’s father passed away in 2011, and his mother in 2015. After their deaths, Ratnaparkhe built a four-room structure on the two 1999 plots and rented it out to Anita Ramesh Mane and Yuvraj Baburao Sutar. However, Sutar defaulted on the rent after a few months. Despite repeated requests from Ratnaparkhe, Sutar began threatening him with violence.

Fake tax receipts in MSEDCL documents

Ratnaparkhe filed multiple complaints with Vedantnagar police against Sutar’s intimidation. In August 2021, an FIR was registered against him. During further investigation, it was revealed that in August 2023, Sutar obtained mutual electricity meters from MSEDCL. When Ratnaparkhe inquired with MSEDCL, it emerged that in 2021–22, Sutar had obtained property tax receipts in the name of the late Laxmi Salve’s plot.

Municipal inquiry exposes the fraud

Following Ratnaparkhe’s complaint, the municipal corporation conducted an inquiry. Laxmi Salve passed away on March 12, 2020. Based on her death certificate and cremation receipt, then-sub-overseer Sangram Vidhate conducted a property survey on April 1, 2021, issued tax receipts in her name using forged signatures, and transferred them to Ratnaparkhe. Deputy municipal commissioner Aparna Thete conducted a hearing on February 14, 2024 and ordered the cancellation of the tax receipts. A letter was also issued in June regarding filing an FIR against Sutar.

MSEDCL did not verify the documents

In the entire fraud, the property with the transferred electricity meter was in Ratnaparkhe’s name. However, MSEDCL officials approved Sutar’s application without any verification and issued electricity service despite pending bills of Rs. 29,000 in Ratnaparkhe’s name.

All legal claims rejected by courts

Sutar tried every possible way to seize Ratnaparkhe’s property. He filed cases in the civil court, district and sessions court, and later in the appellate bench. However, all three courts rejected his appeals. Police Inspector Pravina Yadav and PSI Vaibhav More investigated the case, and Sutar was subsequently arrested. According to PSI More, Sutar was remanded to two days of police custody.