An elderly schoolmate of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, aged 81 years, has managed to win back his disputed land at Mira-Bhayandar in the Indian state of Maharashtra, days after he called upon the help of the Prime Minister in a land dispute which has been running for several years.
Who Is Asgar Ali Vora?
Asgar Ali Vora is an old schoolmate of the Prime Minister who went to school together with him in the BN School at Vadnagar, Gujarat. He called upon the help of PM Modi on September 8th in order to resolve the land dispute which was being handled by builders close to BJP MLA Narendra Mehta.
The Land Dispute
According to Asgar Ali Vora, he bought about 2,810 square meters of land at Navghar, Bhayandar East via a written contract way back in 1989. He alleged that the land had never been sold or disposed off since then. However, forged papers were prepared in 2011 after which the land was divided into two different sections which included Swayam Builders and Seven Eleven Constructions (linked to Mehta). He further alleged that the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s Town Planning Department had granted construction permission on the land despite his ownership claim.
Vora’s Allegations Of Inaction
Vora said he had filed an FIR over the alleged forgery back in 2015, but claimed the CID report in the matter was submitted only this year, raising questions over the delay and suggesting political pressure may have played a role. He has sought a CBI probe into the alleged forgery and the conduct of officials across the municipal, revenue and police departments.
Officials Step In After PM Meeting
Following Vora’s meeting with the Prime Minister, senior state officials took up the matter. On Tuesday, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shrikar Pardeshi chaired a meeting at the state secretariat, attended by Vora, Mehta, Municipal Commissioner Radha Vinod Sharma and Town Planner Purushottam Shinde.
The Resolution
At the meeting, Mehta submitted a letter to the Town Planning Department stating he was relinquishing possession of the disputed land and returning the construction permit, noting that he had purchased the land from Mervyn Fernandes in 2019. In a separate letter to the police commissioner, Mehta said he was withdrawing his earlier complaint against Vora following a settlement reached between the two sides.
With the land relinquished and the police complaint withdrawn, the immediate dispute appears resolved, though Vora’s broader demand for a CBI investigation into the alleged forgery and administrative lapses remains unaddressed for now.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
