FIR filed over alleged land fraud involving man claiming to be Salar Jung descendant and MP’s driver

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police registered an FIR against Mir Mehmood Ali Basharat Ali Khan, who claims to be a descendant of the Salar Jung family of Hyderabad, and Jawed Rasul Shaikh, the driver of MP Sandipan Bhumare, on charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal intimidation following a complaint by 52-year-old Parbhani-based lawyer Mujahid Iqbal Khan.When contacted, police commissioner Pravin Pawar said, "The FIR is based on the complaint lodged by the advocate. An in-detail preliminary inquiry has been conducted by the economic offences wing (EOW) of the city police, before proceeding ahead with the FIR." The case was registered at Jawahar Nagar police station under BNS sections 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), 318(3) (cheating), 351(2) (criminal intimidation and 3(5) (common intention), nearly three years after the complainant first approached the then commissioner of police.Despite repeated attempts, Jawed could not be reached for his comments. While, former leader of opposition Ambadas Danve said, "This FIR is too little, too late. We had made a representation to the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and brought to his notice that this prime land was illegally transferred to a sitting MP and his MLA son's driver. CM had asked for registering FIR, which finally got registered. Now, the mastermind of these transactions should be identified and arrested."According to the complaint, the dispute centred on a nine-acre land parcel at Survey No. 3, CTS No. 14844/A and 14844/B in Bagesherjung, Dawoodpura, with an estimated ready reckoner value of Rs 241 crore and market value claimed to be as high as Rs 550 crore.The complainant alleged that in 2015, Mir Mehmood Ali Khan approached him to fight a long-pending legal battle over the land, which was part of an ancestral claim involving the "Do Aana Group" and litigation against Chenmal Pannalal Kothari. Claiming financial constraints, Khan allegedly entered into an agreement with the lawyer, initially offering three acres at Rs 90.45 lakh per acre in exchange for legal services and financial assistance.The agreement was expanded on Jan 25, 2016, to include the entire nine-acre land. An Agreement to Sale was notarised in Hyderabad, and a "Memorandum of Oral Hiba" (gift deed) was executed in favour of the complainant. Over the next eight years, the complainant claimed he paid between Rs 90 lakh and Rs 1 crore through cash, bank transactions and RTGS, including payments for litigation expenses and Khan's personal needs. The complaint further stated that multiple documents were executed in his favour over time, including a revised Hiba-nama in 2017 and a registered irrevocable General Power of Attorney dated July 26, 2021.Following prolonged litigation, the revenue minister ruled in favour of Khan in Jan 2023, and his name was entered in the property record (PR card) in Feb 2023.However, the complainant alleged that despite these agreements, Khan fraudulently transferred the same land to Shaikh, who was employed as a driver of Shiv Sena MP Bhumare, through another Hiba-nama. The alleged fraud came to light in June 2023 when the complainant visited the property and encountered Shaikh, who allegedly threatened him with dire consequences if he pursued the matter.The complainant alleged he was systematically cheated and deprived of both his financial investment and the land rights secured after years of legal effort. He also claimed that the accused may have executed similar fraudulent transactions involving other land parcels.