PRAFULLA Mhatre, Shiv Sena’s party’s deputy chief of Kamothe in Navi Mumbai, who has in the past been accused of extortion and molestation, now faces charges of cheating and forgery. Not just that, Mhatre, the self-appointed crusader for commoners who frequently raises the issue of illegal housing in the city, is apparently living in an illegal house. Here’s taking a closer look at the cases against him.
Cheating and forgery
On February 14, Kamothe police registered a case against Mhatre and his alleged accomplices — Tushar Nagpure, Anjali Randive, Pramila Kamble — (FIR copy available with ABI) under sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) , 465 (forgery), 467 (Forgery of valuable security), ,468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating),471 (fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any one document or electronic record, 120 (B) criminal conspiracy) and 34 (acts done by several persons for common intention) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The complainant, Paresh Anand Nikalaje, is a resident of Worli and works as a manager in M/S Quality developers.
According to police there is a tussle going on between Mhatre and M/S Quality developers. Nikalje alleges that Mhatre wants to capture a project being developed by M/S Quality in Kamothe. In an attempt to defame them, alleges Nikalje, Mhatre claimed that the developers had sold one flat to several people in court. Mhatre had indeed produced such a document at the Thane Sessions Court on March 31, 2013, showing that the developer had sold a flat (B/602) on February 3, 2013 through Pramila Kamble (the proprietor of Akaanksha Enterprises) to an individual named Vijay Gaidhane. Mhatre also made a complaint against the developer to the assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Turbhe division.
According to Nikalje, “I don’t know Pramila Kamble, Vijay Gaidhane or Akaanksha Enterprises. The accused conspired to show that we sold one flat to several persons but failed. They forged all documents,” said Nikalje.
On February 28, 2014 police has arrested Nagpure. Later he was released on bail. Prafulla Mhatre has been granted anticipatory bail. Pramila Kamble and Gaidhne are roaming free.
An illegal house
Mhatre often presents himself as someone who fights against illegal housing/construction projects in Navi Mumbai. But it turns out he is himself living in an illegal tenement. The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) discovered the illegality of his residence and issued a show-cause notice (copy available with ABI) to him on April 17, last year.
Extortion
The Kalamboli police booked Mhatre and eight others under Sections 384 (extortion), 452, 447, 504 of the CrPC for allegedly demanding Rs 12 lakh and a flat from a developer, Shaukat Shaikh, to ‘settle’ a dispute with a number of defaulters. Mhatre had contacted Shaikh and proposed to put an end to the controversy if Shaikh gave him Rs 12 lakh in cash and a 2BHK flat in his Kamothe project. Mhatre allegedly threatened the developer, saying if he failed to meet his demands, he would bring the project to a halt by creating more controversies. Shaikh, however, videotaped the entire conversation (CD available with ABI) and produced it in the Panvel court. On October 3, 2011 the court ordered the Kalamboli police to register a complaint, and a cognisable offence was registered against Mhatre.
Molestation
The issue with Shaikh continued to escalate. On August 18, 2011, Shaikh alleges, Nagpure along with Sena workers went to the developer’s office at Vashi, ransacking the office and damaging telephone lines. Nagpure then allegedly made vulgar remarks about the receptionist, a woman (named held with ABI to protect identity). He apparently told her he knew what “business” she did and asked her to “go” with him. He used expletives and, grabbing her hand, tried to drag her away.
On January 24, 2012, the Vashi police registered an FIR (copy available with ABI) under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC against Mhatre, Santosh Chinchulkar, Tushar Nagpure and others. Nagpure was arrested. Mhatre and Chinchulkar are yet to be arrested in this matter.
When contacted Mhatre said, “I am aware about FIR but can not talk on telephone. Come to my office.”
Prafulla Mhatre is cheater
Without any justifications and knowledge to bleming is wrong.