Quick Summary: Shyamsundar Agarwal, accused of land fraud in Thane, gets anticipatory bail. The case involves alleged forgery and land grabbing, with a significant delay in filing the complaint.
Shyamsundar Radhyesham Agarwal, a 60-year-old businessman from Bhayander (West), Thane, asked the Bombay High Court for bail before he could be arrested. The case is about accusations of land fraud involving a family property in Thane, with charges including forgery and planning to commit a crime.
The complaint was made by Balwant Kashinath Patil, who claims the land in question was ancestral, originally recorded as protected tenancy in 1948. Allegations include that Agarwal, along with others, faked documents to sell the land without the consent of all heirs.
"The land bears old Survey No. 280 and new Survey No. 91... recorded as protected tenancy of his great-grandfather."
Patil accuses Agarwal of tampering with documents, including a Power of Attorney, to sell the land to his nephews, Shubham and Sharad Agrawal, for Rs. 80 lakhs. The complaint highlights unauthorized changes and missing signatures.
"He alleges that Shyamsundar Agarwal falsely represented himself as Power of Attorney holder and sold the property."
The transactions under scrutiny date back to 2003-2011, but the FIR was filed only in 2025, raising questions about the delay. Agarwal's lawyer argued that the transactions were legal and acknowledged in civil suits over the years.
Judge Amit Borkar granted anticipatory bail, noting the significant delay in filing the FIR and the presence of registered documents supporting the transactions. However, the court imposed strict conditions to ensure Agarwal's cooperation with the investigation.
"The delay of more than a decade... casts a shadow of doubt over the bona fides of the prosecution’s version."
Agarwal must: - Provide a personal bond of Rs. 50,000. - Cooperate with the investigation and not influence witnesses. - Report weekly to the investigating officer. - Surrender his passport and not leave the area without permission.
The court decided to grant Shyamsundar Agarwal anticipatory bail due to the long delay in filing the complaint and the existence of documents supporting the transactions. However, the court set strict conditions to ensure he cooperates with the ongoing investigation.
