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A Pune Magistrate Court has directed the Pune Police to register an FIR against Runwal Group Managing Director Subodh Runwal, Ashutosh Navare, Lucy Roy Choudhary, M.B. Agarwal & Co., and other unknown persons in connection with a disputed land parcel in Pune's Viman Nagar area involving allegations of cheating, forgery, criminal trespass, conspiracy and organised crime.
The order was passed on May 16, 2026, by Judicial Magistrate First Class DR Dornalpalle under Section 175(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The court held that a prima facie case disclosing cognisable offences had been made out and directed the police to register the offence and conduct a detailed investigation. The magistrate observed that despite complaints, supporting documents, recorded statements and a site panchnama being placed before the police authorities, no FIR had been registered. The court also noted that the investigating officer failed to submit a satisfactory report despite being granted time to do so. Referring to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Lalita Kumari vs Government of Uttar Pradesh, the court reiterated that registration of an FIR is mandatory when information discloses the commission of cognisable offences. The dispute concerns a prime 3.93-hectare land parcel bearing Survey No. 214/2 located in Lohegaon/Viman Nagar near Pune International Airport. According to the complaint, late Satish Satyanarayan Mittal, through Wonder Properties, had acquired ownership and development rights over the property during 2005-06. In 2007, Wonder Properties allegedly entered into a registered joint venture agreement with Runwal Developers Pvt. Ltd. to form an Association of Persons (AOP) named Runwal Wonder Ventures. Under the arrangement, Wonder Properties was reportedly entitled to 52 per cent of the gross revenue while Runwal Developers was entitled to 48 per cent. The agreement is stated to have prohibited the transfer or assignment of rights without written consent from Satish Mittal or his legal heirs. Following Mittal's death in January 2016, the complainants alleged that the AOP was never legally reconstituted with the legal heirs and that forged and back-dated documents were subsequently created to facilitate the transfer of rights to related entities. After police allegedly failed to act, the complainants approached the magistrate's court seeking directions for FIR registration. The court observed that the allegations disclosed offences under Sections 111, 318(2), 329(3), 336(3), 338, 341(1), 61(2) read with Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and directed the officer-in-charge of Vimantal Police Station to register the offence and investigate the matter in accordance with law. The magistrate further recorded that there was prima facie material suggesting the commission of cognisable offences with common intention and criminal conspiracy, making investigation through the police machinery necessary. The criminal investigation ordered by the magistrate's court will proceed alongside the ongoing civil and arbitration proceedings concerning the disputed land parcel. Reacting to the order, Ranjeet Ashok Darak, Designated Partner of Bridge Water Realty LLP, said the decision reinforced faith in the judicial system and welcomed the court's direction for a police investigation. Pune police is likely to register an FIR soon after the Court's direction. (ANI)
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