Pune: Mulshi Officials Expose Fraud in Murum Mining, Issue Multi-Crore Penalty
Pune, 16th July 2025: In a significant crackdown on illegal mineral extraction in Pune’s suburban real estate belt, the Mulshi tehsil administration has levied a penalty of ₹5.65 crore on Sonigara Realcon and its partner Bhavesh Bhagchand Sonigara. The action follows the unauthorized excavation and transportation of murum (a type of soft rock) far beyond sanctioned limits from a construction site in Thergaon.
The investigation began after activist Siddique Shaikh from the citizen group ‘Apna Vatan’ lodged a formal complaint on 26th December 2023 regarding the issue. The complaint alleged that the developer was extracting and selling murum under the pretext of site development. In response, the tehsil office initiated an Electronic Total Station (ETS) survey to assess the extent of the excavation.
The survey, conducted on 24th June 2025, revealed that 15,676 brass of murum had been excavated from Survey Nos. 21 and 22 in Mulshi taluka. Of this, only 599 brass remained on-site. While the developer had secured permissions for 5,500 brass across multiple phases, the survey uncovered that an additional 9,577 brass was removed and transported without the required permissions.
Tehsildar Jayraj Deshmukh concluded that the unauthorized activity violated provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, and the Minor Minerals Extraction Rules, 2013. The order noted that the developer misrepresented facts to obtain partial clearances and began excavation even before acquiring the necessary licenses. The royalty rate for murum was set at ₹600 per brass, while the market rate was estimated at ₹4,300. Factoring in unpaid royalties and a five-fold penalty, the final dues amounted to ₹5.65 crore.
The tehsil office has demanded immediate payment, warning that failure to comply will result in the dues being entered as a lien in the property’s 7/12 land record. This would restrict any future transactions or development on the plot.
It is also hinted that an FIR may also be filed against the developer for alleged fraud and loss of government revenue.
In response to the action, developer Ketul Sonigara denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and defamatory.” He asserted that all permissions had been secured and that the company has challenged the tehsil order in the High Court. He also referred to Supreme Court rulings and state circulars that allow for exemption of royalties when soil is reused on-site for leveling.
However, tehsil officials dismissed the claim, stating that the excavated murum had been transported and sold offsite, thereby disqualifying it from any such exemption.
