FIR against kin of Ambernath BJP functionary and others for ‘forging’ will and power of attorney

Thane: Mahatma Phule police in Kalyan have registered a cheating and forgery case against five persons, including two nephews of a BJP functionary from Ambernath, for allegedly preparing forged will and power of attorney documents using backdated stamp papers to usurp family property worth crores belonging to their sister.The accused have been identified as brothers Prashant and Santosh Karanjule, their mother Sunanda, and two witnesses named in the disputed documents — Amit Jain and Pradeep Singh — all residing in Ambernath. The two brothers are reportedly active in the real estate business.The FIR was registered following a complaint lodged by Archana Karanjule, who alleged that the accused manipulated stamp papers after the death of their father Anandrao Karanjule on July 6, 2023, and fraudulently prepared a will and power of attorney showing older dates to create the impression that the documents had been executed during his lifetime.According to the complaint, Anandrao owned a total of 17 properties worth several crores in Ambernath. Archana alleged that as a legal heir she was entitled to a one-fourth share in the family assets, but her brothers and mother allegedly attempted to grab the properties by preparing bogus documents and transferring the assets in their own names.Archana told police that despite repeated requests, her brothers and mother allegedly avoided initiating legal heirship proceedings in court for nearly two years after their father's death. She alleged that when she demanded her share in the properties, she was threatened and later discovered that disputed documents had already been used to claim ownership of several assets.In her complaint, Archana further stated that she sought information through the RTI Act to verify the documents, during which she allegedly discovered several discrepancies in the stamp papers used for the will and power of attorney. According to her, the stamp papers were originally purchased in another person's name and inconsistencies were also found in the dates mentioned on the documents.She further claimed that the signatures appearing on the alleged will did not match her father's actual signature, raising strong suspicion that the entire will and related documents had been forged after his death.Police sources said the documents and supporting material submitted by the complainant were verified before the FIR was registered. After preliminary scrutiny and examination of the allegations, Mahatma Phule police registered a case under relevant sections related to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and use of forged documents.Police officials said further investigation is underway and action will be taken based on further investigation.