MNS leader arrested over forged property lease involving Akshay Kumar's sister

Powai police arrested MNS functionary Ganesh Chukkal and his associate Sameer Sawant in a flat lease forgery case. Investigators say a three-year lease was altered and signatures on the disputed document were forged.

In Short

• The complaint centred on an Adonia flat and disputed tenancy papers
• Melronia took control after NCLT-linked liquidation proceedings in 2018 itself
• Monthly licence payments stopped in October 2019, with dues remaining unpaid

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) functionary Ganesh Chukkal has been arrested by the Powai police in Mumbai in connection with a cheating and forgery case involving a residential flat in the Hiranandani Estates. His associate Sameer Sawant was also arrested in the case.

The property is linked to Melronia Hospitality Private Limited, whose directors include Alka Bhatia Hiranandani, sister of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, along with Kamal Niranjan Hiranandani and Shridhar Narayan.

According to the FIR, the case concerns a flat in the Adonia building in Powai and a disputed lease document submitted by Chukkal. The police case was registered after Melronia Hospitality complained about the possession of the property and discrepancies in documents relating to the lease.

The property, which was part of Hiranandani Group (HGP), was liquidated through proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in 2018 and subsequently came under the control of Melronia Hospitality. The company handles leave-and-license agreements for vacant flats.

In 2018, Chukkal, who was a director of Bryce Infrastructure, entered into an agreement to lease the flat along with two parking spaces for a period of 36 months.

The agreement included a security deposit of Rs 15.3 lakh and a monthly licence fee of Rs 2.55 lakh. It also stipulated interest on delayed payments.

POLICE FIND DISCREPANCIES IN LEASE DOCUMENT

Police said the company stopped receiving the monthly payments in October 2019. Chukkal subsequently assured the company that outstanding dues of around Rs 2.67 lakh would be cleared by January 2020.

According to the complaint, the payment was not made. Melronia Hospitality subsequently terminated the agreement in 2020 and asked the tenant to vacate the premises.

Police said Chukkal did not vacate the property and later submitted an affidavit claiming that he had a valid 30-year lease agreement for the flat.

During the investigation, police examined the document and found several discrepancies.

The original lease agreement reportedly specified a three-year tenure, but the word “three” had been altered to “thirty”, changing the claimed lease period to 30 years.

Investigators also found that the document did not carry a notary serial number and that the notary seal was unclear. Police further alleged that the signatures of three Melronia Hospitality directors on the document had been forged.

CHUKKAL SENT TO POLICE CUSTODY

Following the investigation, the Powai police arrested Chukkal and Sawant. They were produced before a court, which granted police custody until Monday.

The case involves charges related to cheating, forgery and breach of trust. The police are examining the disputed lease document and the circumstances in which it was prepared and submitted.

Chukkal had recently attracted attention for organising a large Dahi Handi event during the Janmashtami celebrations.

The event was attended by celebrities including cricketer Suryakumar Yadav and actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza.

The investigation into the property dispute is continuing, with police examining the roles of the accused and the documents connected to the disputed tenancy.

- Ends