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Dead men, fake heirs: Yerawada cops bust land grab racket targeting prime plots
Yerawada police uncovered a land-grabbing syndicate that targeted properties of deceased individuals near Aga Khan Palace, arresting the mastermind and two accomplices for using forged documents and impostors. The FIR was filed on February 18, 2026, triggering a sequence of arrests in March and April, with the mastermind later identified as Milind Bhusari.
Why It Matters
The case highlights vulnerabilities in property records and the use of fraudulent identities to seize assets, underscoring ongoing law-enforcement efforts to curb land grabbing.
Timeline
5 Events
Ongoing probe into possible similar rackets in Pune; investigation team and call data records involved
April 18, 2026
Investigators said the racket operated in an organised manner with clear role divisions, from identifying properties to arranging impostors and preparing forged documents. Call data record analysis aided the tracking and arrests, and police are probing whether similar attempts occurred in other parts of Pune and adjoining areas, and whether more individuals are involved.
Mastermind arrested after four-hour trap in Shivajinagar; identity linked to Milind Bhusari
April 15, 2026
Based on Dixit's confession, police arrested the alleged mastermind, Sunil Kadam, after a four-hour trap in the Shivajinagar area on April 15. He was later identified as Milind Laxman Bhusari (61), a resident of Sadashiv Peth, and was remanded to police custody till April 21.
Impersonator of deceased owner traced; Balkrishna Dixit arrested
April 2026
Acting on a tip-off, officials arrested 74-year-old Balkrishna Laxman Dixit from Rasta Peth. Dixit admitted he had agreed to impersonate the deceased owner and sign property transfer documents in exchange for money, and police said he was in a vulnerable financial condition and was exploited.
Wazir Azmuddin Shikalkar detained; probe links him to a front for SK Agrofood Tech Pvt Ltd
March 18, 2026
Police detained Wazir Azmuddin Shikalkar from Satara. Interrogation revealed he had been used as a front for SK Agrofood Tech Pvt Ltd to facilitate illegal transactions and give the activity a veneer of legitimacy.
FIR registered over alleged transfer of two plots near Aga Khan Palace after complaint by Abhinav Shrikishan Kotru
February 18, 2026
The Yerawada police registered an FIR on February 18, 2026, based on a complaint by New Delhi resident Abhinav Shrikishan Kotru (50) alleging that two plots totaling 1,078 sq metres opposite the Aga Khan Palace in Yerawada were fraudulently transferred. The case was registered under sections including cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.