Offence registered against Wadkar, 2 others in land deal case

City police has registered an offence against noted playback singer Suresh Wadkar and two other persons for alleged cheating in a land deal.
Following the directive of a local court, the offence was registered last night against Wadkar and two other persons - Vinayak Dhopavkar and Vijaya Karandikar - in connection with the land deal at Devalali camp near Nashik, an official at Bhadrakali police station said today.
The offences were registered under sections 120(b) (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467, 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 of the IPC, he said.

One of the Wadkar's partners, Hemant Kothikar, had earlier complained in the court against the singer about alleged cheating in connection with the land deal.
Taking cognisance, the civil court yesterday ordered the city police to register an offence against Wadkar, Dhopavkar and Karandikar and conduct an inquiry, the police official said.
Petitioner Kothikar, Wadkar, and singer Sonu Nigam had finalised purchase of land at Devalali camp on April 16, 2008. The agreement was made with land owners Rajesh Dargode and Ajit Dargode and an amount in advance was paid to them, police said.

In view of some controversy about the ownership of the land, the trio (Wadkar, Nigam and Kothikar) told Dargode brothers that they will make final payments after the issues regarding the land were resolved.

When Dargode brothers failed to resolve these issues, the three filed a petition in the civil court, where the matter is still pending, Kothikar's advocate Mandar Bhanose said.
According to Kothikar, despite the matter being sub-judice, Wadkar allegedly approached the original owners of the land, Vinayak Dhopavkar and Vijaya Karandikar, and got the property registered on February 7, 2013, in his name.
Therefore, Kothikar registered a case of cheating against Wadkar, Dhopavkar and Karandikar in the court.