Habiba Javed Jaffrey, wife of veteran Bollywood actor Jaaved Jaaferi, has alleged that she and her family were cheated of over ₹16.24 crore in an elaborate fake commercial redevelopment investment scheme in Bandra West. An FIR (No. 0536/2026) was registered at Khar Police Station on May 13, 2026, against BMC Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Patil and five others, including businessman Nishit Patel. The case has been transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch’s Property Cell, which arrested Nishit Patel shortly after the FIR. Mahesh Patil was suspended by the BMC on June 5, 2026 (order served June 7).
The 20-page complaint by Habiba Jaffrey (56), a homemaker residing at Sandhu Palace, A-1, Pali Hill, Khar, details how a routine property tax notice in April 2024 allegedly turned into a sophisticated fraud involving forged registration documents, home-based biometric “registrations,” fake builder letterheads, and repeated false promises of high rental yields and quick possession.
How the Alleged Scam Unfolded: Chronological Sequence
April 2024 – The Property Tax Notice and First Contact Habiba and her husband received a BMC property tax notice for their bungalow (No. 27, Aram Nagar 1, Seven Bungalows, Andheri West). She shared it with acquaintance Ali Raza. In late April, she and Ali Raza visited the BMC G-South office in Lower Parel and met Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Patil. Patil allegedly highlighted that property tax for the bungalow had not been paid for six years and suggested a settlement. He then reportedly advised against retaining the Andheri property (calling it financially unviable) and instead recommended selling it and investing in the “New Kamal Kunj” commercial project in Bandra West, which he portrayed as highly profitable.
Early May 2024 – Introduction to Nishit Patel and Site Visit With Ali Raza away in Paris around May 2, Habiba visited Patil’s office alone. Patil allegedly called Nishit Patel on loudspeaker and introduced him as someone with strong builder connections who could facilitate investment. Nishit promised ₹1,500 per sq ft monthly rent through a Bank lease if they invested. Habiba visited the site (an empty plot with 3-4 shops) and was told the shops would be vacated by May 30, 2024. She initially hesitated after discussing it with her husband.
May 7–8, 2024 – Home Visits and Heavy Persuasion On May 7, Mahesh Patil visited the Jaffrey home in Khar with his wife and son. He reportedly brought up his retired police officer father also investing after “legal due diligence” and pushed for a meeting with Nishit Patel. The next day, Nishit Patel arrived with another person (described as a former National College student now in stock markets). They showed a detailed map of the “New Kamal Kunj” project, offered 20,000 sq ft commercial space for a ₹30 crore investment, promised possession by December 2025, and handed over letters on the letterheads of Supreme Universal Construction and Ajmera Builders, along with a supposed Bank interest letter. The family was convinced, partly due to Patil’s BMC position and claims of inside knowledge on profitable properties.
June 2024 – Mid-2025: Massive Fund Transfers The Jaffrey family sold their Oberoi Sky Garden flat (Andheri) and the Aram Nagar bungalow to raise funds. Starting mid-June 2024 and continuing through mid-2025, they transferred approximately ₹15.92 crore via multiple cheques to various company accounts (Ayan Enterprises, Harinam Enterprises, Pujan Technologies, Udit Traders, Asian Food, RPP L Multi Trade Pvt Ltd, and others), which the accused allegedly described as sister concerns of Supreme and Ajmera. Additional cash payments of about ₹49 lakh were made directly to Nishit Patel. Habiba also handed over a Rolex watch (approx. ₹20 lakh) and foreign currency (Euros, Swiss Francs, Dirhams, Saudi Riyals – approx. ₹12.3 lakh equivalent). Mahesh Patil allegedly kept sending construction progress photos and videos via WhatsApp, claiming full responsibility, and even brought senior BMC colleagues and a Nashik-based resort owner friend to further build confidence.
September 2024 Onwards: “Home Registrations” with Forged Documents Nishit Patel, Rupesh (described as a government employee handling registrations), and Devendra Padwal (claiming power of attorney from Ajmera) visited the Jaffrey home multiple times. Using what appeared to be a portable machine, they allegedly took photographs, signatures, and fingerprints of Habiba, Javed, Naved Jaffrey, and other relatives (including Mumtaj Sheikh). Multiple shop transfer agreements (shops numbered 09, 25, 26, 23, 24, 28, 27, 6-8, 40, 37, 38, 47, 56, 48, 39, etc.) were “executed” on different dates from original owners (Minhaj Ahmed, Sadik Mehdi Rizvi, etc.) in favour of Jaffrey family members or entities. Only photocopies of the registered deeds were provided; originals were said to be with the builders. Similar processes continued for other tranches.
Additional Fraud Angle – Cafe Seaside / Hotel Partnership (2025) The accused allegedly convinced the family to invest a further ₹2.86 crore in another commercial property (partnership in a space linked to “Cafe Seaside” or Hotel Faroodi near Bandstand, Bandra). A fake partnership deed/notarised document dated around July 2025 was provided.
July 2025 – The Fraud Unravels On July 11, 2025, Habiba visited the Sub-Registrar’s office (behind MTNL Building, Linking Road, Khar) to verify one document (related to Bader-15-2850-2025 for 50% partnership in the additional property). Officials confirmed it was fake/not registered. She immediately confronted Nishit Patel, who allegedly admitted the documents were fabricated and promised to bring members of the Faroodi family. Later visits and calls to Supreme Builders (met Sunny Bijlani) and Dhawal Ajmera revealed that neither builder had any knowledge of Nishit Patel, Mahesh Patil, the Kamal Kunj project involvement, or the 15+ agreements shown to the family.
Confrontations, Partial Admissions, and Broken Promises (Aug–Oct 2025) When confronted, Mahesh Patil allegedly claimed he too had been cheated by Nishit and promised to recover the money through Sagar Mehta. Sagar claimed funds had been routed to one Mehendra Dube and shared photos of post-dated cheques (including a ₹3.5 crore Union Bank cheque dated Aug 18, 2025). In late September and early October 2025, Nishit Patel and Sagar Mehta visited the home and promised full refund of the principal plus 1.5% monthly interest by October 30, 2025 (post-Diwali). They provided a signed list of dues. Habiba recorded some of these meetings on video. Follow-ups for capital gains tax-saving property purchase agreements (after the family sold their properties) also yielded only a suspicious draft naming an unrelated person.
Despite repeated assurances, no money was returned. On May 13, 2026, Habiba Jaffrey filed the detailed FIR at Khar Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (including cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and conspiracy provisions).
Current Status
The investigation has been taken over by the Mumbai Crime Branch Property Cell. Nishit Patel was arrested and remanded to police custody. Mahesh Patil remains untraceable and has been suspended by the BMC. Police are searching for other named accused (Rupesh, Sagar Mehta, Devendra Padwal, and others) and probing whether additional influential investors were targeted in the same scheme.
The case has sent shockwaves through Mumbai’s real estate and civic circles, raising serious questions about verification processes for high-value investments and the misuse of official positions to build credibility in fraudulent schemes.
Also Read: ‘Scam Within a Scam’: Bombay HC Exposes ₹50 Cr Fraud in NSEL Land Auction
