Pune: A land development dispute involving alleged coercion and extortion has arisen at Kondhwe Dhawade, where a landowner allegedly halted a residential project and demanded INR 20 million from society members before allowing construction to proceed.

The case, which involves accusations of threats and forced signatures on blank checks, has led to a police investigation.

The project began following a development agreement between Chintamani Constructions, led by Mahesh Ramchandra Tike, and landowner Bapusaheb Dhawade, who signed over development rights to Tike through power of attorney.

Under this agreement, Tike began construction on 10 buildings, completing approximately 70% of the project using funds from flat sales. According to the complainant, Vijay Dwarkaprasad Silevan, Tike had reserved certain flats for the landowner and made contractual payments. Despite this, Dhawade allegedly halted the project in 2016, demanding more funds for additional profit.

The complaint, filed by Silevan, details how he and fellow buyers formed a cooperative society, Shri Vishnu Narayan Complex Cooperative Maintenance Society Limited, and took over partial control of the project in its existing state.

Efforts by the society to complete construction were reportedly disrupted by ongoing threats from Dhawade and his associates, who are accused of using weapons to intimidate society members.

The situation escalated recently when Silevan and society members visited the site to inspect their flats. The complaint alleges that Dhawade and his family surrounded them, issued death threats, and demanded a payment of INR 20 million.

The accused allegedly forced Silevan to sign two blank checks and blank papers from the society’s bank account, then released the members.

The police have filed a case against Bapusaheb Dhawade and 17 others, including members of his family, on allegations of illegal control over completed and incomplete portions of the project, from which they are allegedly generating revenue through unauthorized means. Uttamnagar Police are investigating the allegations.