Gujarat: Congress Demands SIT Probe Against Ex-Surat Collector for Land Fraud

Surat: Former Union Minister and Khedbrahma MLA Dr. Tushar Chaudhary has called for the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate allegations of corruption and crores of rupees worth of land fraud against former Surat District Collector Ayush Oak. The allegations involve the unauthorized entry of tenants' names into government land records, causing significant financial damage to the state.

In a press conference held in Surat on Monday, Dr. Tushar Chaudhary, Congress candidate for the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha seat, leveled serious accusations against Ayush Oak, who served as Surat District Collector until February 2024.

Dr. Chaudhary accused Oak of defrauding the Gujarat Government by arbitrarily entering the names of 'tenants' (ganotiyas) into the records of government land measuring approximately 2.17 lakh square meters located at survey number 311/3 in Dumas.

"Former Surat District Collector Ayush Oak is fully responsible for this fraudulent activity," stated Dr. Chaudhary. "I demand the formation of an SIT to thoroughly examine all documents related to this case, ensuring that proper legal action is taken against those responsible."

According to Dr. Chaudhary, Ayush Oak, despite his constitutional responsibility to protect government property, conspired to seize government land by entering tenants' names into official records without authorization. This, he claimed, resulted in the loss of crores of rupees to the government.

"In 2015, an investigation conducted by the then district collector concluded that the land belonged to the state government," Dr. Chaudhary explained. "However, Ayush Oak ignored this report and issued a wrongful order to enter the names of the tenants into the land records just two days before his transfer."

Dr. Chaudhary emphasized the urgency of the situation, arguing that Oak’s actions were part of a larger scheme to embezzle government property. "We believe that a huge amount of corruption has been committed in this matter. The names of the tenants were entered under connivance to defraud the government," he asserted.

The former Union Minister insisted that Ayush Oak's role must be investigated immediately and that he should be suspended for his actions. "Ayush Oak wrongfully entered the names of the ganotiyas under the Ganot Dhara, overruling the 2015 report by the former district collector," Dr. Chaudhary said. "This clear act of corruption and abuse of power cannot go unpunished."

The demand for an SIT investigation highlights the severity of the allegations and the need for transparency and accountability in government operations. Dr. Chaudhary's call for action underscores the importance of safeguarding public property and ensuring that those in positions of authority adhere to legal and ethical standards.

"Despite being in a constitutional post with the duty to preserve government property, Ayush Oak damaged the property of the government through his arbitrary and illegal actions," Dr. Chaudhary added. "This case needs to be investigated thoroughly to ensure justice and to prevent such incidents in the future."