Raigad district has come under scrutiny after a Noida-based Trust alleged irregularities in the mutation of agricultural land purchased more than three decades ago. The case, which follows recent debate around land dealings in Maharashtra, has led to a Gautam Buddh Nagar court issuing summons to four members of a Mumbai-based family.
According to the complaint, Maharishi Ved Vigyan Vishwavidyapeeth — a registered Trust in Noida — bought agricultural plots in Usroli village, Khalapur, during 1993–94 under a women-centric programme. While the transactions were completed, the Trust says the revenue mutations were left pending at the time.
The Trust now alleges that between 2007 and 2010, members of the Zorabian family managed to get the same land transferred to their names by approaching local farmers and submitting documents that were later challenged. Their first request for mutation was rejected after officials reported that the land had already been sold.
The petition claims that a fresh mutation was later approved unusually quickly — within a few weeks instead of the standard processing period — and that no copy of this order is available in village-level records. The respondents named in the case are Soharab Khodamoradoor Zorabian, Firoza Zorabian, Farijhad Zorabian Irani and Shazad Zorabian.
The Trust says it became aware of the alleged discrepancies only in 2022 and filed an appeal before the SDO, Khalapur, which is still pending. It has also accused the respondents of visiting its Noida office on October 1, 2025, and pressuring staff to withdraw the appeal. The allegations include cheating, forgery and intimidation under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
After examining the complaint, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar has issued summons directing the four respondents to appear in court on December 18, 2025, as the dispute proceeds to the next stage of hearings.