Mumbai: An 81-year-old man who studied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received relief in a long-running land dispute in Maharashtra’s Bhayandar after meeting the Prime Minister and seeking his intervention.
Asgar Ali Vora, who says he purchased a 2,810-square-metre plot in Navghar, Bhayandar East, in 1989, met Modi on September 8. Days later, BJP MLA Narendra Mehta announced that he would relinquish possession of the disputed property, surrender the construction permission associated with it and withdraw a police complaint filed against Vora. The developments were reported by The Times of India and subsequently by several news outlets.
The matter was discussed at a meeting at Maharashtra’s Mantralaya on Tuesday, chaired by Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shrikar Pardeshi. Vora, Mehta, Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Commissioner Radha Vinod Sharma and town planner Purushottam Shinde attended the meeting.
Vora had pursued dispute for nearly 15 years
According to Vora’s account, he purchased around 2,810 square metres of land in Navghar, Bhayandar East, through a registered agreement in 1989. He maintained that he never sold or transferred the property.
Vora alleged that the property was subsequently taken over in 2011 by Swayam Builders and Seven Eleven Constructions, a company associated with Mehta. He had been approaching government authorities for nearly 15 years seeking resolution of the dispute.
Vora also alleged that documents relating to the property were forged and that the land was subsequently divided into two portions without his knowledge. He sought an investigation into the alleged forgery and the involvement of developers and officials.
These allegations are Vora’s claims and have not been established as findings against the parties involved.
Mehta agrees to relinquish possession
At Tuesday’s meeting, Mehta submitted a letter to the Town Planning Department stating that he was relinquishing possession of the disputed property and surrendering the construction permission granted for the plot.
According to reports, Mehta maintained in his letter that the land had been purchased from Mervyn Fernandes in 2019. His decision to relinquish possession came as the dispute was being reviewed by senior state officials.
Mehta also wrote separately to the police commissioner stating that he was withdrawing the complaint he had previously filed against Vora following a settlement between the two sides.
The latest development marks a significant change in the status of the property dispute, although the precise legal and administrative steps required to complete the transfer and surrender of permissions will be governed by the relevant authorities.
PM Modi and Vora studied together
Vora studied with Narendra Modi at B N School in Vadnagar, Gujarat, according to reports. He met Modi on September 8 and raised the Bhayandar property dispute during their meeting.
Following the meeting, senior Maharashtra government officials took up the matter. The subsequent Mantralaya meeting brought together the two parties as well as officials from the municipal corporation and town planning department.
The sequence of events has drawn attention because the latest movement in the long-running dispute came within days of Vora’s meeting with the Prime Minister. Reports have described the matter as moving towards a settlement following the intervention sought by Vora.
What happened to the disputed property?
Vora has said that the property was originally purchased by him in 1989. He alleged that developers took over the plot in 2011 despite his claim that he had never transferred ownership.
According to the reports, one portion of the property was associated with Swayam Builders, while another was linked to Seven Eleven Constructions. Vora also questioned the grant of construction permission over the disputed land.
He had been pursuing the matter with government departments for years and had also sought an investigation into alleged document forgery. Vora said he had filed an FIR in 2015 and questioned the time taken for the investigation to progress.
With Mehta now stating that he is giving up possession and surrendering the construction permission, the immediate dispute has moved towards a settlement between the parties.
Police complaint also withdrawn
The resolution also includes the withdrawal of the police complaint filed by Mehta against Vora.
Mehta informed the police commissioner through a separate communication that he was withdrawing the complaint after a settlement between the two sides.
The development is expected to bring an end to the immediate confrontation between the two parties, while the authorities will have to complete the applicable land and town-planning procedures.
For Vora, the latest development comes after years of pursuing the property dispute through government channels. His meeting with his former schoolmate Narendra Modi on September 8 was followed by a review by senior state officials and Tuesday’s meeting at Mantralaya.
The case has now entered a settlement phase, with Mehta relinquishing possession of the disputed plot, surrendering the construction permission and withdrawing his complaint against Vora.