Mumbai: The Bombay high court has granted interim protection from arrest to 84-year-old Akhtar Hasan Rizvi, accused of allegedly forging a conveyance deed in 1979 to transfer a Bandra property in favour of Rizvi Estates and Hotels Pvt. Ltd.
Justice Prafulla S. Khubalkar passed the order while hearing Rizvi’s anticipatory bail plea in connection with a case being investigated by the economic offences wing involving allegations of cheating and forgery.
According to the complaint filed by Abdul Jabbar Shaikh, the dispute concerns a building named ‘Rahenam Allah Ka Manzil’. Shaikh alleged that a sale deed registered in 1979 for Rs 50,000 purportedly bore the signatures of his grandmother, who was the original owner of the property. She died in 1968, 11 years before the alleged transaction.
The complainant said the alleged irregularities came to light in 2022 after disputes arose among family members over the ownership of the building. While examining property records obtained through the Right to Information Act, he allegedly found the 1979 transaction. He further alleged that forged documents were used and an impersonator was produced before the registration authorities.
Rizvi’s counsel Shivam Deshmukh argued that the allegations relate to an incident nearly 47 years old and questioned the considerable delay in lodging the FIR.
The high court observed that custodial interrogation was not necessary at this stage. The matter will be heard next on Sept 15.
