Officials explained that the plot in question covers 30 acres, spanning land measurement numbers (survey numbers) 22 to 30 in Agarwal Nagar, Nalasopara East. Some of the land was privately owned, while portions were reserved for a dumping ground and a Sandwater Project (STP). In 2006, former corporator Sitaram Gupta and his son Arun Gupta began illegal construction of buildings on the land. Without obtaining a Construction Permit (CC) or Occupancy Certificate (OC), the structures were deemed unauthorised. Between 2010 and 2012, 41 unauthorised buildings were demolished in the area.

In response, landowner Ajay Sharma filed a public interest petition in the High Court, leading to a court decision ordering the Municipal Corporation to vacate the houses of the 41 building residents. Consequently, the VVMC issued evacuation notices to the residents.

In September 2022, Sitaram Gupta, a former corporator of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) party in the Vasai-Virar region, was arrested by the Achole police. He was accused of land grabbing, involving both private and government properties, and constructing 41 illegal buildings in the Mauje area of Achole, Vasai East, 20 years ago. Gupta allegedly produced a bogus Completion Certificate (CC) for one of the buildings from CIDCO and the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC).

An FIR against Gupta and his associate Vijay Tambat, alias Vijay Salvi, was filed in June 2023 by the Municipal Corporation. Both were declared absconding and were charged under sections 420 (cheating), 447 (criminal trespass), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 474 (having possession of a forged document), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

The accused, including Sitaram Gupta, his brother Arun Gupta, and their accomplices, allegedly acquired 30 acres of land from private owners and an additional 30 acres reserved for government projects, such as a water purification plant and a dumping ground. They then sold the land to various builders using fake ownership documents.

“Since 2008, I have been attempting to get an FIR registered and have Gupta arrested, but he has evaded the law for years,” said Ajay Sharma, the complainant and caretaker of the 30 acres of land. The rightful owners reside in New Zealand and Canada. Sharma, holding power of attorney for 10 acres of the land worth crores of rupees, revealed that the Gupta brothers created a bogus CC from CIDCO for the land and sold it to builders.