Guwahati Commissioner of Police Diganta Barah on Friday stated that a total of 242 complaints were leveled in various police stations under Kamrup Metro district in connection to the illegal acquisition of land in the year 2023.
While addressing a press conference in Guwahati earlier today, Barah said that out of the 242 complaints, 82 cases have been registered and 71 persons have been arrested. Meanwhile, in the year 2022, out of 215 complaints, 53 were registered and 34 persons were arrested.
Diganta Barah said, “Investigations into the issue was carried out after complaints lodged by Papu Gogoi, the circle officer of the Dispur Revenue Circle; and another person named Someswar Tumung (60). Based on these complaints, a case was registered and the investigation was initiated. A huge racket of counterfeit land documents preparation was unearthed post the investigations. This racket includes land brokers, some advocates, and some government employees.”
“During investigations, it has come to the light that land brokers, government officials, Mohoris, advocates gang up and prepare a fake sale deed between the two parties and then show it a as registered. By submitting the Certified Copy of the forged sale deed of a plot of land, the gang applies for mutation in their names in the Revenue Circle Office. The mutation process gets done in the name of someone else instead of the genuine land owner. With the help of certified copy of the fake sale deed, the land mafia grabs a plot of land,” he added.
The Guwahati CP further said that the first arrest in this matter was a DTP operator. After his arrest, Tapash Choudhury, Advocate Mainul Hoque, Dhrub Jyoti Barman and Nitul Das were arrested.
“After Nitul Das’s arrest yesterday, it has come to light that a racket of land brokers is still active in the office of the sub-registrar. We have sufficient evidence regarding this. So far, Nitul has invested landed properties worth over Rs 6 crores,” Diganta Barah informed.
The Guwahati Police and Kamrup(M) District Administration has further appealed all citizens that if any forgery is noticed by any genuine land owners in respect of their legally owned land, then they should approach the concerned Revenue Circle Office or concerned Police Station by filing a detailed complaint regarding the forgery suspected. The complaints will be verified, enquired into and action will be initiated as per law and based on the evidence collected.
