Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan among 5 booked for land grabbing in Rajasthan

A case of land grabbing has been registered against 5 people including Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh in Dungarpur for having allegedly grabbed 40 bighas of land using fake documents. The victim had submitted an Istagasa in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. After which the Kotwali police station registered a case of cheating against MP Harshvardhan Singh and four others

Dungarpur (Rajasthan):A case of land grabbing has been registered against Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh and four others in Kotwali Police Station for having allegedly grabbed 40 bighas of land using fake documents. At present, the matter is being investigated by the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID).

According to CI Dilipdan of Kotwali PS, Salim a resident of Lalpura in the city registered a case of fraud against MP Harshvardhan Singh, Dungarpur Tehsildar, Mandwa Khaparda Patwari, Sarpanch and Village Secretary. The victim told police that in the year 1965, his father Peervaksha Mewafrosh had purchased 40 bighas of land from Ambalal Patel, the secretary of Dungarpur Maharawal and had got it registered in 1985.

However, due to the implementation of the Ceiling Act, their land became unnamed and his name went missing from the revenue record. Later, he had given an application in Dungarpur SDM Court for the right of account. On February 13, 2001, the Dungarpur SDM rejected the application on behalf of the landholder Dungarpur Tehsildar. This led the applicant to appeal before the Revenue Appellate Officer.

On August 14, 2001, the Revenue Appellate Officer, rejecting the decision of the Dungarpur SDM Court, declared Salim as a share tenant on the basis of the registered documents. After this decision, an appeal was made to the Revenue Division of Dungarpur Tehsildar in Ajmer, which was also rejected.

Despite all this, when applicant Salim presented an application to the Dungarpur Tehsildar for the right to account on 5th July 2004, the Tehsildar citing a pending case in Revenue Board did not proceed further.

Now, it is learnt that on June 13, 2017, Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh had allegedly prepared forged documents using his influence and got the transfer of 40 bighas of land opened in his name in connivance with the then Dungarpur Tehsildar Mandwa Khaparda Patwari, sarpanch and village secretary.

In this case, the victim had submitted an Istagasa in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. After which the Kotwali police station registered a case of cheating against Rajya Sabha MP Harshvardhan Singh and four others.

What's an istagasa?

A common man can approach the court and register a case under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) called istagasa wherein the court would then direct the police station concerned to conduct an investigation.