Runwal Group’s High Drama in Thane: Calcutta High Court Special Officers Intimidated, Advocates Forced Out of Court-Directed Site Visit for ongoing Fraud
Thane, August 25: The ongoing battle over a disputed land parcel in Thane has taken a shocking turn, with serious allegations that representatives of the developer openly threatened court-appointed Special Officers and advocates during a High Court–mandated inspection. What should have been a straightforward judicial process descended into intimidation, obstruction, and contempt.
The inspection was ordered by the Calcutta High Court under its judgments of 30th September 2024 and 30th July 2025. Yet, when the Special Officers arrived at the site, they were met with hostility. Advocates and parties to the case were branded “trespassers and imposters” and told they would be thrown out by private security if they refused to leave. The threats forced them to record their presence in the official minutes and exit the premises. Such actions strike at the very heart of judicial authority and amount to outright contempt of court.
One of those targeted was Advocate Mareesh Pravir Sahay, counsel for a respondent and Board of Advisor to Crimeophobia, who travelled from New Delhi to Thane to attend the inspection. Initially barred entry by security, he managed to step inside, only to face accusations from the developer’s lawyers of misrepresenting his identity — claims that even their own staff later contradicted. Despite clear objections, the Special Officers were compelled under protest to proceed with the inspection in the absence of appellants and their advocates, undermining the spirit of transparency that court orders are meant to uphold.
The inspection itself revealed extensive possession and active commercial use of the property by the developer. A plush sales office, model flats, and ongoing sales activities were observed, while construction was in full swing across multiple towers, some rising as high as 46 floors. Despite heavy rains, the site bore every sign of aggressive marketing and rapid development. The developer’s representatives were asked to furnish key details — including sanctioned plans, total site area, number of towers, and sale agreements — but sought time until 26th–27th August 2025 to respond.
“During the court-mandated inspection, I was the only advocate present and was directly targeted by the Runwal Group. They openly threatened me and the plaintiff in person, even going so far as to question the authority of the Special Court Officers, who are an extension of the Court itself. They fabricated a false story about my entry, which collapsed when I challenged them to produce CCTV footage. Their representatives then threatened to have me physically thrown out by their private security, telling me to leave voluntarily to ‘avoid embarrassment.’ This was nothing short of intimidation, contempt of court, and an attack on the rule of law.” Says Advocate M.P Sahay, AoR Supreme Court of India and Board of Advisor to Crimeophobia.
Observers note that the timing of these controversies could not be worse for the company. The recent rebranding of Runwal Group into Runwal Realty, coupled with their decision to bring in Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor as brand ambassador, was intended to project a polished new image. Instead, it now appears deeply ironic — if not downright unlucky. Far from enhancing credibility, the move may backfire spectacularly, as the company finds itself staring at the prospect of a major contempt of court case before the Calcutta High Court.
Hearing the situation of Adv. M.P Sahay, even the Founder of Crimeophobia was shocked and Criminologist Snehil Dhall also stated that “With advocates being insulted, court officers threatened, and judicial orders obstructed, this episode has gone beyond a property dispute. It raises an urgent question: can developers use muscle, brand campaigns, and celebrity endorsements to paper over their disregard for the courts? If the High Court takes a hard stand, the “oversmartness” of the Runwal camp may prove their undoing.”
Other crimes of Runwal Group include a CBI loan fraud case of 2004–05, in which directors of Runwal Multi Housing Pvt. Ltd. were chargesheeted by the CBI for criminal conspiracy and cheating. They had inflated the land value — a ₹1.97 crore property projected as ₹10 crore — to fraudulently secure a ₹10 crore loan from Union Bank of India, and later sold mortgaged properties without consent. The Manjari Land Forgery Scam between 2007–12 saw Runwal accused of forging powers of attorney and sale deeds over 108 acres of farmland in Pune, cheating hundreds of farmers. The Crime Branch filed charges of cheating and forgery, and Runwal’s petition to dismiss the case was rejected by court.
In 2018, MahaRERA fined Runwal ₹10 lakh for failing to upload mandatory Intimations of Disapproval (IoDs) for two projects, despite approvals being available at registration. Buyers of Runwal Greens in Mulund, who booked flats in 2010 and paid up to 97% of the cost, faced years of delays and were later hit with unjust charges for fungible FSI and even parking fees, with allegations of illegal demands. In another instance, some buyers of Runwal Infinity/Sanctuary have been waiting over 17 years for possession despite paying half the cost in 2007. A 2018 RERA directive ordered delivery with compensation, but Runwal dragged matters into higher courts, escalating buyer misery.