Settlement announced after an official meeting, Mumbai, Maharashtra | BJP MLA Narendra Mehta relinquished possession of land claimed by PM Modi’s former schoolmate Asgar Ali Vora.
PM Modi’s Schoolmate Gets Disputed Land Back From BJP MLA
Asgar Ali Vora, an 81-year-old former schoolmate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has moved closer to ending a long-running property dispute after BJP MLA Narendra Mehta relinquished possession of a contested plot in Maharashtra’s Mira-Bhayandar area.
The development came days after Vora met Modi on September 8 and sought his intervention. During the meeting, Vora alleged that developers had taken control of his land in Bhayandar East using forged documents and requested a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.
On Tuesday, Mehta informed officials that he was giving up possession of the disputed property and surrendering the construction permission issued for it. He also withdrew a police complaint previously filed against Vora following a settlement between the two parties.
PM Modi meeting brings focus to dispute
Vora studied with Modi at BN School in Vadnagar, Gujarat. He approached the prime minister after spending years pursuing his property claim before municipal, revenue and police authorities.
According to Vora, he purchased approximately 2,810 square metres of land on Navghar Road in Bhayandar East through a registered agreement in 1989. He maintained that he had never sold or transferred the plot to another party.
Vora alleged that forged documents were prepared in 2011 and the property was divided into two portions without his knowledge. One section was reportedly shown under the possession of Swayam Builders, while another was linked to Seven Eleven Constructions, a company associated with Mehta. The allegations of encroachment and document forgery remain Vora’s claims and have not been established through a final court ruling.
Asgar Ali Vora seeks CBI investigation
Vora has demanded a CBI investigation into the alleged forgery and the roles of developers and government officials. He has accused officials in the municipal corporation, revenue department and police of failing to take timely action on his complaints.
An FIR relating to the alleged property irregularities was registered in 2015. Vora said a Criminal Investigation Department report was submitted only in 2026, prompting him to question why the process had taken so long.
He also alleged that the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s Town Planning Department granted construction-related approvals despite being aware of his ownership claim and the continuing dispute.
Vora’s meeting with the prime minister brought renewed public and administrative attention to the case. Earlier reports said civic authorities had scheduled a hearing and directed representatives of the two developers to attend.
Land possession and construction permit relinquished
Following the meeting with Modi, senior Maharashtra officials reviewed the dispute. Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shrikar Pardeshi chaired a meeting at the state secretariat attended by Vora, Mehta, municipal commissioner Radha Vinod Sharma and town planner Purushottam Shinde.
During the meeting, Mehta submitted a letter to the Town Planning Department stating that he was relinquishing possession of the contested land and returning its construction permit. He said the property had been purchased from Mervyn Fernandes in 2019.
In a separate communication to the police commissioner, Mehta withdrew his complaint against Vora and cited a settlement between the parties. The decisions removed two immediate obstacles facing Vora’s claim over the property.
Mira-Bhayandar case raises wider questions
The rapid movement in the case after Vora’s meeting with Modi has drawn attention to the delays he allegedly faced at lower administrative levels. Vora had pursued the dispute for about 15 years before receiving a high-level review.
Although the settlement addresses possession of the portion linked to Mehta and Seven Eleven Constructions, Vora’s demand for a CBI investigation into the alleged forged documents and official conduct remains a separate issue. Further administrative and legal procedures may still be required to update land records, formally cancel construction permissions and establish Vora’s undisputed control over the entire property.
