Mumbai Crime: Man Booked For Misusing Deceased Administrator’s Power Of Attorney To Illegally Transfer Property

A significant fraud case has came to light where a misuse of legal documents has came to light from Chembur.  47-year-old man , Vidyadhar Sitaram Rao has been accused of  misusing a Power of Attorney (PoA) after the death of its issuer to illegally transfer ownership of a prime property in Juhu, Santacruz (West), into his own name and defrauding govt. 

According to FPJ repot, the FIR has been filed by complaint was filed by Eshwar Danaram Devshi, 55, a Sub-Registrar (Class 2) of the Mumbai Suburban District. A complaint filed with the registrar’s office on June 27 by Kuldip Pawar, a resident of Vasai East, Thane, alleges that a sale deed dated June 13, 2024, was executed with forged documents, including a Power of Attorney, and fake signatures. Pawar claims this defrauded the government and illegally transferred property ownership.

After investigation it  came to light that the disputed document concerns the property "Meherabad" (now Juhu Sagar) at Juhu Koliwada, H.B. Gawde Marg, Santacruz West, Mumbai. This property, encompassing approximately 3570.6 sq. meters of buildings and land, is recorded under Final Plot No. 35-C/1 of the Santacruz Town Planning Scheme No. 2.

Vidyadhar Rao claimed to hold a Power of Attorney (PoA) from Dorab Faridoonji Sirvai, administrator of the estate following the deaths of original owners Nasarwanji Dorabji Sirvai and Mehrbanu Nasarwanji Sirvai, who had willed rights to Rustom F. Sirvai (alias Russi Faridoon Sirvai). Dorab Sirvai became the administrator upon Rustom's death, appointed by the Bombay High Court on October 31, 2022.Rao executed a sale deed on June 10, 2024, using the PoA allegedly granted by Dorab Sirvai on August 24, 2022. His advocate, Vinod Mishra, witnessed the transaction, and Karan Gupta and Toyaj Vikashchand Singh attested to Rao’s identity. Rao submitted a sworn affidavit, as required by Section 32(a) of the Registration Act, 1908, declaring the PoA valid and Dorab Sirvai alive.

However, verification revealed Dorab Faridoonji Sirvai had died on October 14, 2023, confirmed by a BMC death certificate, rendering the PoA invalid. This suggests Rao falsely declared Sirvai alive and submitted a forged affidavit to transfer the property, resulting in legal and financial repercussions. The Registrar's office sent letters to Rao and Sirvai's last known address. The letter to Sirvai was returned undelivered, and Rao did not respond. Kuldip Pawar initially raised concerns but did not provide evidence of Sirvai’s death until the registrar's investigation uncovered the death certificate.Chembur police have charged Vidyadhar Rao under Section 82 of the Registration Act, and Sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), for forgery, misrepresentation, and fraud. The investigation is ongoing.