Forgery comes to light after officials find accused used documents of owner who had died nearly two years earlier
Irregularities were found in a sale deed registered in June 2025 at the Chembur sub-registrar’s office. Representation Pic/File
The Chembur police have booked a Vasai resident for allegedly reviving a dead man on paper to fraudulently transfer ownership of property, including a bungalow, worth Rs 50 crore in Juhu.
The accused, Vyadhar S Rao, 47, allegedly forged documents to show that Dorab Fardunji Sarkari, the original property owner, was alive and had authorised him to execute a property transfer.
According to the FIR filed by Sub-Registrar Ishwar Devshi, the case came to light after irregularities were found in a sale deed registered in June 2025 at the Chembur sub-registrar’s office. Officials discovered that Sarkari had died nearly two years earlier, on October 14, 2023, but his name and signature appeared on the power of attorney submitted by the accused.
The forged document was allegedly used by Rao to register the Juhu property, which measures over 3570 square metres (roughly an acre) in area, in his own name, bypassing legal procedures and misleading the registration department. When suspicions were raised by a complainant, the office initiated a verification process, which confirmed through Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) death records that Sarkari had passed away in 2023.
The house in question, Meherabad bungalow, is situated in Juhu Koliwada, Santacruz. The land and bungalow are estimated to be worth around R50 crore, given the premium location and redevelopment potential.
Police officers say Rao not only produced a forged power of attorney but also filed false declarations affirming that Sarkari was alive at the time of registration.
The FIR has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 340(2), 338, 336(3), and 318(4), which pertain to forgery and cheating, along with Section 82 of the Registration Act, 1908, which deals with forgery, fabrication, and cheating of a government office.
The accused, who resides in Samata Nagar, will soon be sent a summons, said senior police inspector Rajesh Kewale of Chembur police station. The matter is under investigation, he said.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
