A suspected attempt to grab seven acres of land in Nanawadi using a forged will has raised serious questions over the mutation process and the alleged involvement of revenue officials.
The disputed property in Survey No. 359 belonged to Prabhat Dinkar Desai, who died on November 23, 2025. According to Adv. Sachin Bichu, Desai’s final registered will, executed on March 7, 2025, bequeathed the property to his daughter, Amanda Soni-Desai.
However, the name of Suresh Shripad Deshpande was subsequently entered into the revenue records through a mutation entry under Section 328, allegedly on the basis of a will dated November 24, 1984.
The authenticity of the 1984 will has now come under question. Adv. Bichu said the document records Prabhat Desai’s age as 68 in 1984. Further, a certificate issued by the Sub-Registrar’s office on June 20, 2026, reportedly states that no will dated November 24, 1984, was registered in its records.
According to Bichu, the mutation was carried out without proper verification of the documents and without issuing notices to the legal heirs. He alleged that certain individuals may have colluded with officials to facilitate the entry in the revenue records.
The District Registrar has taken cognizance of the matter and initiated action to prevent further transactions involving the disputed property.
Speaking at a press conference, Adv. Bichu said incidents involving forged documents, impersonation and fraudulent property transfers were increasing in Belagavi, causing serious difficulties for rightful property owners and their families.
He urged the District Collector and Police Commissioner to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the Nanawadi case and similar property fraud cases.
The case has also raised questions over how a mutation entry could have been processed on the basis of a purported 1984 will when the Sub-Registrar’s records reportedly do not show registration of such a document.