Quick Summary: A Bombay High Court case involving a land dispute in Panvel ends with the court allowing the Mhatres to change their lawsuit and dismiss a counter-demand. The case involved multiple parties and complicated legal strategies.
In this case, the main people are the Mhatre family, consisting of Alankar, Amar, and Kamini Mhatre, all from Bamandongre, Panvel. They were against the Naik family and others, including Sunil Ramesh Bhanushali and CIDCO (City & Industrial Development Corporation).
The case started with a civil lawsuit filed in 2009 about a piece of land in Ulwe, Panvel. The Mhatres claimed a share in this land, which was initially owned by Narayan Hari Naik and was later taken over by CIDCO.
On December 18, 2023, the Civil Judge in Panvel made an important decision. The Mhatres wanted to remove Sunil Bhanushali from the list of people they were suing and exclude Plot No. 73 from the case. Meanwhile, the Naik family wanted to change their defense to include a counter-demand against Bhanushali.
"The court rejected the Mhatres' request to remove Bhanushali and the plot from the case, while allowing the Naik family's counter-demand," the judgment stated.
The Mhatres argued that since they had settled with Bhanushali, they should be allowed to change their lawsuit. They claimed the Naik family was trying to get more money from Bhanushali.
The Naik family claimed Bhanushali owed them over 1.6 crore rupees as part of a land deal. They wanted the court to allow this claim to be added to the case.
On January 6, 2026, Judge N.J. Jamadar ruled in favor of the Mhatres. He allowed them to change their lawsuit, removing Bhanushali and the plot from the case. The judge found the Naik family's counter-demand legally invalid.
"The counter-demand against Bhanushali was not valid as it was mainly against a co-defendant," Judge Jamadar explained.
This decision allows the Mhatres to continue with their case without Bhanushali and the plot, making their legal fight simpler. It also shows how complicated land disputes can be in fast-growing areas like Panvel.
