INDORE: A massive land scam has come to light in Indore, where over 20 plots, each valued in crores, were fraudulently registered and mutated using forged documents. The matter came to notice after a complaint regarding a plot in the historic Shiv Vilas Palace area led to deeper investigations, revealing a well-organised racket involving municipal and registry officials.
Collector Orders Probe After Initial FIR
Indore Collector Ashish Singh ordered a thorough inquiry after complainant Hastimal Chouksey reported that a plot in Zone 3 of the municipal corporation was illegally mutated using fake registration documents. Following this, an FIR was lodged at MG Road Police Station, and the then record room in-charge, Mardan Singh Rawat, was suspended.
A five-member committee led by District Registrar Chakrapani Mishra was set up. Upon reviewing documents, the committee identified 20 registries as suspicious. The estimated value of these forged plots exceeds ₹100 crore. Two FIRs have already been filed, and more are expected as investigations proceed.
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Forged Signatures, Paper Type and Missing Thumb Impressions
The investigation found that fraudsters created exact replicas of old registered documents. The same kind of paper, typewriter fonts, and even signatures of previous officials and stakeholders were copied to make the forged documents appear genuine. In several instances, mandatory thumb impressions were missing, one of the key indicators of forgery.
In a disturbing twist, it was discovered that the original registries were being deliberately removed from the records room and replaced with forged copies. This was allegedly done with the help of insiders from the records department. Most genuine owners learned about the fraud only after mutation entries were reflected in revenue or municipal records.
So far, 29 suspicious complaints and copies have been flagged, out of which 20 have been confirmed as fake. The registrar’s department is seeking forensic verification of all documents involved.
Collector Ashish Singh stated that the accused employees and outsiders will be prosecuted, and additional FIRs will include all involved. A letter has been sent to the police for further action on newly uncovered discrepancies.