The directions were issued during a review meeting attended by Other Backward Classes Welfare Minister Atul Save, senior revenue officials, police officers and district authorities. The matter was earlier raised in the cabinet, following which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called for immediate action.
According to officials, several criminal cases have already been registered involving forged sale deeds, manipulation of land records, duplicate property sales and fraudulent registrations carried out using fabricated documents. Investigators are now examining whether these cases are linked through a larger organized network.
Bawankule said the alleged use of advanced techniques, including artificial intelligence-generated documents and impersonation during registration processes, makes the matter particularly serious. He noted that 16 cases have been registered so far and called for a thorough investigation to identify the masterminds behind the operations.
The minister instructed authorities to consider stringent legal action against those involved, including provisions typically used against organized criminal activity. He also emphasized the need to protect citizens from fraudulent transfers of property carried out through forged government records.
Atul Save said the offences warrant strict legal treatment and suggested that non-bailable charges should be pursued where applicable. He added that further investigation could uncover additional cases and urged close coordination between the police and the registration authorities to expedite action.