ED Raids Mhatre Infra in Panvel Forest Land Scam; Rs 52 Crore Deal Under Lens
Mumbai, 17th June 2025 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday launched raids at two locations in Panvel and one in Mumbai’s Dadar area in connection with a massive forest land scam involving illegal acquisition and sale of government land in Wahal village, Panvel taluka.
The central agency is probing money laundering linked to the illegal sale of forest land by J.M. Mhatre, Director of Mhatre Infrastructure. The action stems from FIR No. 05/09/2024 registered at Panvel Police Station, based on a complaint filed by the Forest Range Officer (RFO) of Uran-Alibag Division.
According to the FIR, Mhatre allegedly created fake land records to acquire government forest land in 2005. The land in question includes Group No. 427/1 (41.70 hectares) and Group No. 436/1 (110.60 hectares) in Mauje Wahal, Raigad district.
Investigators claim Mhatre sold 1.86 hectares from Group No. 436/1 to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and received ₹42.40 crore in compensation. Similarly, another accused, Syed Mohammad Abdul Hamid Qadri, is alleged to have transferred 0.4225 hectares from Group No. 427/1 to NHAI, earning ₹9.69 crore.
The ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to trace proceeds of crime. The searches aim to uncover illegal assets and potential links to political or administrative circles.
The accused face charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Forest Act, and PMLA. Officials say the case could expose deeper financial misconduct involving public land and funds.
More details and possible arrests are expected in the coming days as the probe widens.
