Odisha: Balangir Tehsildar Accused Of Forging Papers Of Dead Persons, Grabbing Land

Balangir: The tehsildar of Balangir district in Odisha has been booked for allegedly grabbing lands of dead persons with forged documents.

Maghaban Bag, the tehsildar of Balangir district, has been booked along with eight others, including subordinate staff and middlemen.

The fabricated land documents allegedly contain the digital signatures of Bag. Forged Records of Rights (pattas) have also been made for the lands grabbed, according to reports.

In one reported case, a patch of land belonging to one Harsha Sandha, who died long ago, was allegedly sold illegally after his death to a buyer named Labani Prusty. The land measuring 1.5 acres is located behind Adarsh Vidyalaya in Dhumamara mouza under Sadar police limits in the district.

Sandha’s identity card was allegedly used to execute the sale deed by replacing his photo with another elderly person’s photo. In place of the seller’s signature, Bag allegedly used a fake thumb impression on the sale deed, which was registered on March 3, 2021. When Sandha’s son learnt about the fraud recently, he lodged an FIR.

“A probe has already been initiated pertaining to the alleged land scam. I will be able to comment on the issue only after the investigation is complete,” Balangir district Collector Chanchal Rana told Sambad.

“I do not have any unfair involvement, whatsoever, in the alleged land scam. I have recently written to the Revenue Inspectors (RIs) concerned asking their clarifications on it,” Bag told Sambad.