Nearly two and a half months after mid-day exposed how the land mafia had gobbled up the multi-crore bungalow of a woman in Khar, the police have registered an FIR against the land shark and his accomplice. The accused took over the property in Chuim Village when Marietta Fernandes, 54, was in Thane mental hospital. On her return, this newspaper’s reports had helped her file a police complaint.

On Monday, the Khar police booked the alleged land shark, Clarence Pereira, 61, and Nilima Deshmukh for stealing the property papers and valuables worth Rs 20 lakh from the bungalow, land grabbing, trespassing, threatening and assaulting Fernandes. The complainant, who has been living with a distant relative named Elvy Pereira, is now waiting to get back her bungalow. As per the FIR, mid-day has a copy, the property—opposite Ahmed Bakery at Khar Danda—was usurped between May 22, 2021, and January 31, 2022.