Shah was offered 12 plots of non-agricultural land (NAL) -- whose collective cost is estimated to run into many crores -- ``for a pittance'' by Rambali Yadav, Ram Andhare (both peons in the additional tehsildar's office) and other agents of the official in 1994. Since the purchase of more than one plot of NAL would attract provisions of the Urban Land Ceiling Act (ULCRA), Shah was advised by the same persons to buy the rest of the plots in the name of his family members and other relations.

Agreeing to the offer, Shah paid Rs two to Rs three lakh for every plot and obtained 12 properties at places like Majas village, Malad, Kolekalyan taluka, Andheri, Malad taluka, Mandapeshwar taluka, Borivli, and Dahisar. Amongthe owners of the various properties were Doshibhoy Nanabhoy, Jeejeebhoy Byramjee, Dinshaw Trust, and Kurshetji Wadia. The owners had no idea of what was happening.

The total amount spent by Shah on the purchase of the plots was upwards of Rs 30.5 lakh. In addition, Yadav and Andhare took away nearly 20 tolas of gold from the jeweller.

When Shah realised in 1997 that documents of the deal were fake and that he had been taken for a ride by the cartel, he approached Oshiwara police on November 12, '97. However, no cognisance was taken of his complaint. He went to the police a second time on October 10, '98, but again no note was taken of his complaint. It was only when local activists led by M A Kashmiri took a morcha to the police station on March 26 this year that a complaint was registered by Oshiwara police in the case.

Even after filing a first information report, Oshiwara police took time to arrest the other accused, alleged Shah. Senior police inspector Purushottam Mule allegedly gave sufficienttime to the other accused to obtain anticipatory bail, and they were held only on March 31. Mule has shown the two tehsildars (Borivli and Andheri) and also the former assistant tehsildar Dalvi as absconding.

The collector of suburban Mumbai, Vasant Gavai told Express Newsline: ``I have already suspended Jadhav and Ram Andhare from the collectorate since their arrest. A report against the surveyor has also been sent to the government.'' He said he wasn't aware of the tehsildars' involvement. ``I will look into the matter, but tehsildars are gazzetted officers. They cannot be suspended by me. The government will take action against them,'' he said.

Kashmiri alleged that Oshiwara police were hand-in-glove with the accused. ``Mule and his team of officers have been bribed by the accused, which is why they are being soft on the accused. We have evidence that the accused and some police officers had struck a deal for Rs 4.5 lakh to close the case,'' he claimed.

In his complaint to the policecommissioner R H Mendonca, Shah has noted: ``I had seen officials of the Oshiwara police station offering VIP treatment to the accused by offering them seats and sharing dinner and soft drinks with them. The custody was further extended till April 5.''

However, deputy commissioner of police (zone-VII) K L Prasad, under whose jurisdiction Oshiwara police station falls, dismissed allegations of the police's partisan behaviour. ``Assistant commissioner of police, D N Nagar division, R P Shinde is already making inquiries into the case. He will report to me soon,'' he said. About senior police inspector Mule, Prasad said, ``He is an impartial officer with a good reputation. The allegations of corruption are baseless.''