Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s schoolmate Asgar Ali Vohra has got back his land in Bhayandar, Mumbai, but the incident has raised several questions regarding what the common man faces in the country.
Vohra has met PM Modi during the latter’s recent visit to Mumbai on September 8 and sought his intervention in a decades old land dispute. The 81-year-old had claimed that a plot he had purchased in 1989 was subsequently usurped by realtors linked to a BJP MLA. He had sought a CBI probe into the matter.
After the meeting, Seven Eleven Construction Pvt Ltd, linked to BJP MLA Narendra Mehta agreed to give up the construction permission it obtained on part of the disputed land. The BJP MLA has also agreed to withdraw the police complaint against Vohra.
In a letter to the MBMC’s town-planning department, Seven Eleven had said that it bought 1,405 sq m of land at Navghar from Mervin Joseph Fernandes and others through a registered deed dated June 13, 2019. The company also said that it subsequently obtained construction permission dated April 17, 2026.
However, citing the land dispute, it said it was surrendering the permission and even asked the civic body to return the fees paid, as reported by The Indian Express.
During a meeting with PM Modi, Vohra claimed that he and his brother acquired the 2,810 sq m of land back in 1989 and never sold or transferred it. He also alleged that the documents relating to the land were created without his knowledge and the property was divided, with claims involving Swayam Builders and Seven Eleven Construction.
The dispute has been before the courts and government authorities for years. A January 2026 civil court judgment, referred to in Vohra’s legal notice, held that the later document relied upon by Swayam Builders cannot affect Vohra’s rights arising from the 1989 document, to the extent of the vendors’ interest.
The judgment did not, however, declare Vohra the absolute owner of the entire 2,810 sq m, according to the notice.
Vohra also cited a July 3 CID document-examination report which had found discrepancies in signatures and figures in two documents that had been changed using whitener.
After his meeting with the Prime Minister, the company said the parties had now reached an understanding over the land and requested that the complaint be withdrawn.
However, people have now started questioning whether the thousands of others across the country, who face similar difficulties will have to know people in power to receive justice.
Many have also asked whether legal action should not be taken against the realtor firm and the MLA, now that they have conceded that they did wrong.
