Developer kidnapped,made to sell Rs 1.5-cr land

The kidnappers allegedly took Muchala to a vacant room in Boisar and beat him up. They allegedly took the name of Deepak Bhatkar,with whom Muchala was negotiating a land deal in Boisar. “They told me to say that I had taken Rs 70 lakh from Bhatkar,while I had taken only Rs 13.5 lakh from him. I told the kidnappers of the deal but they did not agree. Later that night,Bahatkar himself came to the room. He assaulted me,asking me to pay Rs 80 lakh or give the plot to him as security until I pay the amount,” said Muchala.

Muchala was then asked to call his wife and inform her that he has met with a minor accident and would be out for the night. “They took my phone,ATM card and money. The next day,they asked me to call my wife as the property papers were in her name as well,” said Muchala. They asked his wife to come near Boisar Police station,as her signatures were needed to transfer the property,he claimed .

On April 10,when Muchala’s wife arrived at the designated spot,she was whisked off along with Muchala to an office near the police station. “There,they asked us to sign the property papers. My wife refused to sign. They then took me to the registrar’s office and made me sign the papers. They threatened me that If I said a word to the registrar,they would kill my wife. After I signed the papers,they let us go,” said Muchala.

Muchala then approached the Valiv police station and registered complaint against Bhatkar and his associate Sanjay Birje.

“We are searching for Bhatkar and Birje. We are also verifying Muchala’s claims,” said S Mohite,senior inspector.

Police will also look into all the aspects of the land deal and the manner in which he was made to sign property papers before a government servant.