In a significant development that has rattled the diamond industry in Surat, Vasant Gajera, the founder of Laxmi Diamond Private Limited — a prominent De Beers sightholder company — and his brother Bakul Gajera, along with three others are accused of orchestrating a sophisticated land grab valued at over ₹100 crore in the posh locale of Pal, Surat.
The Gajera brothers have been slapped with criminal charges. The case, filed at the Pal police station, follows a Supreme Court directive, shedding light on a tangled web of deceit involving fake documents and manipulated legal proceedings.
Accused fraudulently acquired 3,642 square metres of land
The complaint, lodged at the Pal police station, accuses Vasant Gajera, a luminary in the diamond industry, and his brother Bakul Gajera and three others of fraudulently acquiring 3,642 square metres of prime land in Surat's affluent Pal area, leveraging forged documents to lay claim to property worth in excess of ₹100 crore.
The genesis of this intricate scam traces back to the ancestral land of 82-year-old widow Lakshmi Patel, whose property in question lies strategically at TP No. 10 and Final Plot No. 17 of new condition at Survey No. 164 Block No. 158 of Village Pal. Laxmiben, along with eight other family members, held equal rights to this land, a detail the accused allegedly exploited.
In 2012, the Hadakya family, comprising Hiralal Narsibhai Hadakya and his son Aditya Hadakya, expressed interest in purchasing the land. Following initial payments and promises of future installments post the land's conversion to non-agricultural status, a sinister plot unfolded. The Gajeras, in collusion with the Hadakyas, are said to have manipulated the sale agreement and fabricated a power of attorney with forged signatures.
Pleas remained ignored
The revelation of these forged documents, supposedly facilitated by the complicity of the Sub-Registrar Office Surat-8 at Rander on June 19, 2016, marks a shocking betrayal. Despite Laxmiben's efforts to seek justice through various legal channels, including police complaints and petitions to higher courts, her pleas remained largely ignored until the Supreme Court's intervention.
This high-profile case has cast a shadow over the reputation of Laxmi Diamond Private Limited and its founders, raising questions about the ethics and legality of their business dealings. As the investigation unfolds, the Surat police are committed to diligently pursuing the truth, ensuring that justice is served for Laxmiben and her family.
“The Gajera brothers' legal woes underscore a darker side of the glittering diamond trade, one where greed can overshadow the sparkle of even the most finely cut gems. The outcome of this case may well set a precedent for how land fraud is addressed in one of India's most industrious cities.” said advocate Mehul Surti.
