Salim Fruit, 4 others arrested for usurping Mumbai property

On Monday, the Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) took the custody of Fruit, who was lodged in Taloja jail in another case. His wife is said to be untraceable. The other arrested accused are Muslim Asgarali Umretwala, Sherzada Jungrez Khan, Aslam Patni and Rizwan Shaikh.

The complainant in this case is a 64-year-old chartered accountant based in South Africa. His father owned a building in Umerkhadi worth Rs 25 crore. A private company owned by two persons was collecting rent from tenants of the building and handing it over to the complainant’s sister.

However, after their father died in South Africa in 2006, the sister stopped receiving rent. In 2016, she came to Mumbai and was informed by the two owners of the company that her father had sold them the building in 2011.

With the help of his friend, the complainant made inquiries with the land registrar’s office and found out that the company took help of his uncle to forge documents and transfer the property rights in their name.

In 2019, the two men who owned the company further sold the property to three persons, including Fruit’s wife, who got 50 per cent share. Some time later, the two persons, who owned the remaining 50 per cent of the property, sold the same to one Aslam Patni, who further sold it to Fruit’s wife, making her the owner of the entire building.

In September this year, the complainant approached the Mumbai Police, which registered an FIR under on charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and forgery.

The case was later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing. As Fruit’s name cropped up, the AEC started investigating the case.

All accused were produced before a magistrate court, which remanded them to police custody till November 30.