The Powai police on Friday arrested Ganesh Chukkal, 46, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) vibhag pramukh, for allegedly a two-year-old cheating and forgery case. Chukkal allegedly forged the signature of Alka Bhatia Hiranandani, sister of Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, to create a fraudulent 30-year lease deed for a luxury flat in Hiranandani Estates, Powai. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody until October 5. According to the FIR, Chukkal, a former director of Bryce Infrastructure, forged signatures of Alka Bhatia Hiranandani and other directors of Melronia Hospitality Private Limited to fabricate the lease deed for Flat No. 3505 in the Odonio Building. The company’s directors had filed a complaint accusing him of cheating and forgery. Sources said Chukkal’s association with Bryce Infrastructure was terminated in 2023 following internal disputes, but the forgery is believed to have occurred in 2022, when he was still associated with the firm. “We are investigating the role of other individuals who may have aided him,” a police officer said. Investigators are scanning phone records, financial transactions, and property documents to identify accomplices.
The arrest has caused political ripples given Chukkal’s position in the Raj Thackeray-led MNS. The party has not yet issued an official statement. Sources close to the Hiranandani family said they are cooperating fully with the investigation. Police are expected to seek further custody as they record statements of family members and company officials. The case has drawn widespread attention due to the involvement of a high-profile political figure and the Bollywood connection.
