Gujarat Becomes a Hub for Land Scams: ₹100 Crore Grazing Land Deal; Fraudulent ₹24 Crore Documents Created
Just as the investigation into the ₹2,000 crore land scam near Surat Airport remains incomplete, another significant land scam has surfaced in Surat. This time, grazing land has reportedly been sold with the collusion of officials and land mafias. The transaction, which paid ₹1.70 crore in stamp duty, resulted in a document worth ₹24 crore being created, and even an initial registration was recorded.
The land involved is in Magob village of Puna Taluka, specifically survey number 3-B, block number 156, covering an area of 7891 square meters designated for cattle grazing. Officials from the managing institution and land mafias are alleged to have orchestrated the fraudulent sale. Originally, this land was registered under the Magob Village Samast Trust.
Fake Resolution Used to Sell Land Worth Crores
A fake resolution is reported to have been passed by Rajendrasingh Pratapsinh Gohil, a trustee of Magob Village Samast, along with five other members of the trust. This resolution facilitated the sale of land worth crores of rupees. There are now demands for an immediate government investigation against Rajendrasingh Gohil, the land buyers Ketan Singh Fatesinh Gohil, and Mahesh Virambhai Barot.
Land Prices Skyrocket Due to TP Scheme: ₹100 Crore Scam Unveiled Near Surat
As soon as the Town Planning (TP) scheme was announced, land prices in the Surat area surged, leading to a massive scam. The culprits had insider knowledge that due to the new TP Scheme No. 64, land values would soar. Consequently, corrupt officials and builders collaborated to seize grazing land (gauchar) in this high-value zone. Reports suggest that builders exploited the TP land deductions, profiting crores in the process.
Corrupt Officials Under Suspicion
Several local and state-level officials, including those from Gandhinagar, are now under suspicion. There is a growing demand for an immediate government investigation into the officials who signed off on the fraudulent land sale. Questions have been raised about the roles of various departments, including the State Government’s Registrar Office, Surat Navagam Sub-Registrar, Revenue Department, and the local Gram Panchayat.
Document 1: Clear Mention of Grazing Land in Magob Village Records
In the 7/12 land records of Magob village, Puna Taluka, Surat District, it is explicitly stated that the land is designated for grazing and cattle purposes. This reinforces the fraudulent nature of the sale, as the land’s intended use was strictly for community cattle grazing, not for commercial development or private transactions.
Document 2: Committee Sold Grazing Land Under False Ownership
The committee transferred the grazing land to the names of their two associates and prepared a fraudulent sale deed. This indicates a deliberate misuse of authority, as the land, originally meant for community grazing, was illegally sold through manipulated documentation.
Document 3: ₹24.31 Crore Registration Fee Recorded in Government Revenue Department
As part of the transaction, a payment of ₹24.31 crore was made as the registration fee to the government’s Revenue Department. This significant financial activity further underscores the magnitude of the scam and raises questions about the transparency and legitimacy of the transaction process.
Gujarat: A Hub for Land Scams Involving Top Officials
Gujarat has increasingly become a hub for land scams, with high-ranking officials often implicated in corruption. Recently, a ₹2,000 crore land scam near Surat Airport came to light, where then-Collector Ayush Oak was dismissed from his post, allegedly to shield BJP leaders involved in the controversy.
In another case, related to a land scam in Gandhinagar, then-Collector S.K. Langa was suspended. More recently, a large-scale non-agricultural land scam worth crores in Dahod has also surfaced. These incidents highlight a disturbing pattern of corruption and misuse of power by top officials across the state.
₹100 Crore Land Scam Unfolded: Key Details Revealed
- No Government Approvals:
The state government’s Charity Commissioner or the Gram Panchayat did not approve the sale of the grazing (gauchar) land.
- Months of Planning:
The entire conspiracy to seize the grazing land had been in the works for the past 9-10 months.
- Collusion Among Officials:
High-ranking officials and employees collaborated to orchestrate this fraudulent transaction.
- Original Land Ownership:
The land in survey number 156, part 1, had been under the name of the Magob Village Samast Management Committee for decades.
- Government Acquisition and Return:
The government had previously acquired the land for a canal project but returned it to the committee in 2023.
- Re-entry in Records:
In January 2024, the land was re-entered in the 7/12 records under the name of the Magob Village Samast Committee.
- Fabricated Resolution:
A notarized resolution was created by falsely listing the names of six committee members.
- Leadership Manipulation:
Among the six members, Rajendrasingh Gohil was designated as the committee’s president on paper.
- Fraudulent Sale:
On November 4, 2024, the land was registered in the names of Ketan Singh Gohil (from Magob village) and Mahesh Barot (from Parvat Patiya, Surat). A preliminary government entry (kachchi non-d) was subsequently recorded.
Strict Action Against Officials: Collector to Be Notified
The fraudulent documentation of grazing land is a serious matter. We will investigate the responsible officials and take strict action against them. Although we do not have the authority to cancel the document, we will inform the Collector to prevent the final registration from being processed.
— Jenu Devan (Chief Control Revenue Officer, Superintendent of Stamps, and Registration Inspector)
Allegations of ₹5 Crore Bribe: Officials’ Role Under Scrutiny
Villagers believe that the ₹100 crore land scam could not have occurred without the involvement of corrupt officials. Allegedly, ₹5 crore in bribes were taken by officials to facilitate this fraud. During Diwali, when the sub-registrar was on leave, Registration Inspector Satish Kalathiya handed over the charge to clerk Darshan Patel. Following directives from Gandhinagar, the in-charge staff manipulated the process to execute the fraudulent land deal.
