A police complaint has alleged that Rs 80.75 lakh collected from 44 members of the Ramsheth Thakur International Sports Complex in Ulwe, Panvel, was misappropriated through irregularities in the membership process. The complaint was filed at Ulwe police station on Saturday by representatives of the complex’s board of directors against Khalid Abdul Gani Shaikh, owner of Alpha Media, and employee Rupesh Pagare.
The complaint alleges that the two men collected membership payments over a period of six years while working as sales and marketing agents for the sports complex. The case is being investigated by Ulwe police under the guidance of Assistant Police Inspector Tukaram Korde. The allegations have not been established in court.
The Ramsheth Thakur International Sports Complex is located in Sector 16A, Ulwe, and is spread across approximately 17 acres. The complex is associated with the family of BJP MLA Prashant Thakur. Former MP Ramsheth Thakur is identified as its founder, while his son Paresh Thakur is part of the board of directors and is a corporator with the Panvel Municipal Corporation.
According to the statement submitted to police, the complex had appointed Business Enhance Comnet Media Ltd in 2013 to handle sales and marketing for different membership categories. Shaikh was employed as the company’s sales and marketing manager and Pagare as an assistant manager. The two allegedly enrolled members on behalf of the complex and received commissions for the memberships.
The complaint states that Business Enhance Comnet Media Ltd stopped operating in September 2024. Shaikh then proposed continuing the work through Alpha Media, a company he had established. The complex allegedly approved the arrangement on a commission basis, while instructing that membership payments be deposited into the sports complex’s bank account.
The management later found discrepancies in offer letters issued to some members, according to the complaint. The documents allegedly contained conditions—such as waiving activity fees—that had not been approved by the management. The complaint also alleges that prospective members were given false assurances, including promises relating to the transfer of memberships.
The complex management directed Alpha Media to stop its work on July 21. It subsequently tightened access procedures and decided that members would be allowed entry only after verification through their identity cards. During this review, the management allegedly found that Rahul Pareek had deposited Rs 2.47 lakh from a membership payment of Rs 2.95 lakh into Pagare’s personal bank account on August 8.
The complaint also refers to discrepancies in the membership payment linked to Tejas Bhagat. In another case, Pratima Verma reportedly produced a receipt showing that she had paid Rs 2.45 lakh in cash to Pagare. The management has alleged that the receipt was not an official receipt issued by the sports complex and was fabricated.
The total amount allegedly misappropriated from 44 members is stated in the complaint as Rs 80.75 lakh. The police investigation is expected to establish the flow of funds, the authenticity of the documents and the extent of the alleged loss. MLA Prashant Thakur said the incident had caused concern and called for an early investigation and action against those found responsible.
