A long-running land dispute in Bhayandar East remains unresolved for 81-year-old Asgar Ali Vora, a schoolmate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite a recent decision by BJP MLA Narendra Mehta’s company to relinquish its claim over the disputed property. According to the latest report, Vora has yet to regain physical possession of the land.
Vora had purchased approximately 2,810 square metres of land at Navghar, Bhayandar East, in 1989. He has alleged that Swayam Builders and Seven Eleven Constructions, associated with Mehta, took possession of the property in 2011.
After pursuing the matter through various government offices for nearly 15 years, Vora met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8, 2026, and raised the dispute. Subsequent to that meeting, Mehta announced that he would relinquish possession of the property and surrender the construction permission associated with it. The Mira-Bhayandar civic administration also cancelled the construction approval granted for the disputed plot.
However, the latest development has not resulted in Vora receiving the land back. The report states that developers Mukesh Parekh and Mervyn Fernandes are allegedly continuing to retain possession of the property.
Following a complaint by the Shiv Sena, the Navghar police have registered a non-cognisable offence against Seven Eleven Constructions, Parekh and Fernandes, according to the report.
The dispute has consequently entered another stage, with the question of actual possession still unresolved despite Mehta’s withdrawal from the property.
Earlier, Vora had alleged that the land was never sold or transferred by him and that documents concerning the property were allegedly created without his consent. He had also sought an investigation into the matter.
The case highlights the difference between relinquishing a development claim or construction permission and actually restoring physical possession to the original landowner.
For Vora, who has pursued the dispute for more than a decade, the latest police action and withdrawal by Mehta’s company have moved the matter forward, but the central issue — return of the property itself — remains pending. The next steps will depend on the authorities’ handling of the possession dispute and the allegations against the parties involved.
Source: Times of India
