Mumbai: A Thane resident, on the pretext of donating land for social work, allegedly forged documents and, under the guise of transferring a property in the NGO’s name, extracted stamp duty, registration fees, duping them of Rs 70 lakh. The NGO Swikriti Socio-care Foundation and Chaitanyam Institute of Human Excellence lodged an FIR of cheating at Bhoiwada police station against the accused, Khanderao Sonar.
Advocate Yogesh Chindaliya, on behalf of the NGO, alleged that Sonar deceived Swikriti Sociocare Foundation and Chaitanyam Institute of Human Excellence, extracting money under false promises between 2020 and 2024. According to the complaint, the Thane Municipal Corporation originally leased a five-story building to the NGO for social work. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the building was reclaimed by the municipal authorities for quarantine purposes.
Sonar, claiming to be involved in property development, offered to donate 0.5 acres of land in Bhayanderpada, Thane, for the NGO’s activities. He convinced the organisation’s director, Satyanarayana Swamy, that the NGO only needed to cover the stamp duty costs for the gift deed. In Oct 2020, Sonar requested ₹10 lakh, claiming it was required for stamp duty. The NGO, believing in his intentions, issued a cheque from Axis Bank. However, Sonar failed to execute the gift deed, repeatedly citing technical issues.
In Jan 2021, Sonar claimed that an additional ₹48 lakh was needed due to a “stamp duty error.” He offered to donate 2 more acres if the NGO covered the cost. However, despite multiple follow-ups, Sonar failed to transfer the land. He continuously delayed the process, citing health issues during the second wave of Covid-19 in 2021. In Oct 2021, the NGO issued a final notice, demanding that the gift deed be completed. Sonar remained unresponsive, delaying with excuses.
In Sept 2022, the NGO demanded a refund of ₹70 lakh, including ₹58 lakh in stamp duty and ₹12 lakh in damages. Sonar acknowledged the debt and signed a promissory note but never returned the money, stated the FIR. After repeated failed attempts to recover the money, Advocate Chindaliya and Swamy decided to file a police complaint in August 2024. The complaint was lodged at the Bhoiwada Police Station, Mumbai, citing fraud and financial deception.