Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): The key conspirator of the infamous St Teresa land scam Sudhir alias Bunny Das, was arrested by Dhar police in another land scam. Police produced him before the special court on Sunday, from where he was sent to police remand till March 30, informed Nogaon police station in-charge Anand Tiwari.
Notably, Das was earlier released on bail from jail about one and a half months back in connection with the St Teresa land scam.
Tiwari added that more accused could be arrested in the case after the police question Das. Police have also registered a case against Ankit, son of Ullasmal Vadera, a resident of Dewas and currently residing at Chhoti Gwaltoli, Indore. Ankit, a brother-in-law of Sudhir Jain, another key conspirator in the St Teresa land scam purchased land from Das. Jain is still out of police reach.
According to information, Naugaon Police have registered a case based on the inquiry report of Tehsildar Vinod Rathore. Sudhir Das had prepared a deed in the office of the deputy registrar to lease this land for 29 years in 2008.
After one year in 2009, a sale contract was made in the name of Ankit Vadera. In this Das introduced himself as the owner, but in reality, this land was given by Dhar Maharaj to build a women's hospital for the welfare of the people.
After the end of princely state rules, the land was registered in the name of the government.
Based on receipts in the municipality, the administrator had got his name registered as the owner. The Naugaon police have also asked the municipality for all the documents registered in the transfer and property in this case so far.
Congress, BJP demand action; Both BJP, Congress leaders have raised the issue
The matter came to the fore on December 24, 2019, before the then district collector Shrikant Bhanoth during the weekly hearing when the BJP and Congress corporators led by then municipality vice-president Kalicharan Sonwaniya and Congress district acting president Rakesh Dod raised the issue claiming that Sudhir Das allegedly dismantled the building of Charitable Hospital built on 0.493 hectares land some distance away from the Dhar fort on the basis of tampered documents. The present value of this land is in crores of rupees.
Both party leaders sought administration intervention and three-year later on March 25, 2022, the police have registered a case against the accused Sudhir Das and Ankit Vadera under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120B of the Indian Penal Code. Das was booked under similar sections in the St Teresa land scam as well.
Encroachments removed
Three years ago in 2019, after BJP and Congress brought the matter before the administration, then SDM Virendra Katare along with the tehsil and nazul team, took over the possession of six illegally operated shops on 0.493 hectares in Mission Compound Hospital. After this, the possession of the building was handed over to the Dhar municipality.
Das posed as land owner on basis of forged documents
According to the evidence brought to light so far, the Das family came to Dhar in the year 1972. The existence of the hospital and land is recorded in the government records for about 100 years. Despite this, Das posed as the real owner of the land on the basis of forged documents. Vadera has also been charged under similar sections for the sale of government land and buying tribal land.
