16 September,2026 10:53 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
PM Modi with Asgarali Vohra from Mira-Bhayander. File pic
An 81-year-old man from Mira Road, who claims to have studied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, has received relief in a long-running land dispute after a firm linked to BJP MLA Narendra Mehta withdrew its construction permission for the disputed plot.
Asgarali Vohra, a resident of Mira Road in Maharashtra's Thane district, said he attended BN School in Vadnagar with Modi. He met the Prime Minister on September 8 and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the dispute involving land in Palghar district.
Vohra had earlier said that the dispute concerned a 2,810-square-metre plot in Navghar, Bhayander East, which he purchased in 1989. He had alleged that two firms, Swayam Builders and Seven Eleven Constructions, encroached on the property in 2011. According to his claim, both companies are linked to Mehta.
The dispute took a turn after Seven Eleven Construction Private Limited formally surrendered its commencement certificate for the plot.
Official documents show that the company stated that it had acquired the property through a registered deed on June 13, 2019, and obtained construction permission on April 17, 2026. However, citing the continuing ownership dispute, the company decided to return the permission.
The developer asked the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation to cancel the construction permission and refund the fees it had deposited for the proposed project.
The company has also taken steps concerning a police complaint filed in 2015 against Vohra and his associate Ajay Dhokha. According to sources, Mehta contacted Dhokha through Vohra's associate to initiate the withdrawal of the complaint, which had accused the two men of criminal trespass and intimidation.
Letters confirming the withdrawal of the police complaint and surrender of the construction permission were submitted to the concerned authorities ahead of a municipal hearing scheduled for September 16.
Vohra had alleged that forged documents were prepared without his knowledge to fraudulently divide the plot between the two firms. He also said that despite an FIR being registered in 2015, he had not received justice in the matter.
Following his meeting with Modi, Vohra expressed confidence that the dispute would be resolved and said he had sought a CBI investigation.
He also said the case had begun progressing, with municipal officials calling representatives of the two firms on September 16 to seek an explanation.
Maharashtra Transport Minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik had earlier shared photographs of his interaction with Vohra and expressed confidence that Modi would ensure justice for his "schoolmate".
(With inputs from IANS)
