Revenue Minister Tank Ram Verma directs Collector to Submit Inquiry Report within Seven Days
Raipur, 08 October 2024/ Revenue Minister Tank Ram Verma has directed the Raipur Collector to conduct a detailed investigation and submit a report within a week regarding the sale of land donated to a temple in Changorabhatha, Raipur, to land mafias through fraudulent means. He has further given instructions to take appropriate action against those found guilty in accordance with the law.
The residents of Dr. Khubchand Baghel Ward No. 68 have submitted an application to the Revenue Minister, seeking necessary action on the illegal sale and unauthorized plotting of the 4.40 acres of land belonging to the Seerweshwar Nath Mahadev Temple, located near the Mahadev Pond in Changorabhatha. This land falls under Patwari Halka No. 105, Khasra No. 84, Tehsil Raipur, District Raipur, and is situated behind Shyam Petrol Pump and adjacent to Abhinandan Palace along the Ring Road.
It is noteworthy that the landlord, Govinddhar, had donated 11 acres of land to the village society for the temple near the Mahadev Pond. Out of this, five acres were allocated for agriculture, 4.5 acres for the pond, and 1.5 acres for pathways around the pond. Following the demise of Govinddhar in 1976, the temple’s caretaker, Jayalal Puri, son of Narottam Puri, through fraudulent means, declared himself the administrator of the temple and the adjoining land.
In 1989, Jayalal Puri illegally sold the land to a land mafia named Sanjay Agrawal, despite the fact that the trustee of the temple at that time was the District Collector. Through forgery, attempts were made to establish that the actual owner, Govinddhar, was a Nihang monk with no descendants. In reality, Govinddhar’s son, Balramdhar, and his grandson, Pranav Kumar Diwan, residents of Brahmanpara, Raipur, are his legitimate heirs. Upon discovering the sale of the land to land mafias, the villagers filed a case in the court. Despite winning the case in the local court, Sessions Court, and High Court Jabalpur, the temple land remains under the possession of the land mafia.
The residents had lodged a complaint on 07 June 2022 with the Raipur Collector and Municipal Commissioner regarding the illegal plotting and sale of the land. They demanded a ban on the unauthorized plotting, prohibition on registry transactions, and registration of criminal cases against those involved in the forgery and illegal transfer. Furthermore, they sought the release of the 4.40 acres of land and the pathway around the pond from encroachment. Subsequently, on 16 June 2022, the Municipal Corporation demolished the illegal plots with the use of a bulldozer.
Despite these actions, the issue remains unresolved, and residents continue to seek justice, urging the authorities to ensure that the temple land is restored to its rightful ownership and the offenders are penalized as per legal provisions.
