Assam: Pithani Brothers Accused in Guwahati City Centre Mall Fraud Scandal

A police investigation has reportedly found a major fraud involving the Pithani Brothers, who allegedly used forged and fabricated documents to sell and allocate shops in City Centre Mall in Guwahati, Assam.

The probe was based on an FIR filed at Dispur police station (Case No. 2097/2022) under Sections 406, 420, 468, 471, and 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code, addressing charges of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and conspiracy.

The complaint came from Anju Deorah, director of M/S Assam Vegetable and Oil Products Limited and M/S Sati Oil Udyog Limited, and the landowner of the mall’s site.

Deorah alleged that M/S Brahmaputra Infrastructure Limited and its directors defrauded her in connection with a 2009 development agreement for the City Centre project.

She claimed that four fraudulent agreements were executed on April 18, 2019, while she was in Hong Kong, and later uncovered 13 additional forged agreements.

As per reports, travel records from the Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, verified that Deorah was out of India from April 15 to April 19, 2019, as noted in a police report submitted to the court.

Investigators sent the seized documents, including Deorah’s signatures and thumb impressions, to the State Forensic Science Laboratory and State Fingerprint Bureau.

Forensic analysis confirmed that the signatures on several documents did not match Deorah’s verified signature or the police-provided specimen. Additionally, a fingerprint expert found that Deorah’s thumb impressions on three seized agreements were “non-identical.”

News outlets quoted a police source saying, “The Pithani Brothers facilitated the sale and allotment of shops in the City Centre Mall using falsified documents, and a chargesheet is forthcoming.”

Notices have been issued to individuals, including Pradeep Harlalka, Anjana Harlalka, and Kabita Phukan, to produce original agreements.

The reports added that the case, monitored by the Gauhati High Court, may lead to criminal charges against numerous shop owners linked to the fraudulent sale deeds, potentially resulting in the loss of their ownership.