Satara: In a shocking case from Pangari village in Mahabaleshwar Tehsil of Satara District, a 67-year-old senior citizen’s land and residential property, which were legally purchased in the Mahabaleshwar mountain ranges 27 years ago, have been usurped through forged sales deeds and fraudulent mutations. Despite land surveys, police complaints, and court orders, the perpetrators are reportedly violating the law.
In a classic case of what one calls ‘the thief turning on the victim’, the culprits have even gone as far as entering the senior citizen’s home to threaten his daughter. Despite pleading his case before everyone from the Revenue Minister to the Chief Minister, the senior citizen and his family have been left in despair. The victim has been identified as Sunil Jagannath Kamat (67, Pangari, Mahabaleshwar).
According to available details, victim Sunil Kamat is a highly educated resident of Pangari and a graduate of IIT Bombay (Powai). He purchased the land and residential property in the Mahabaleshwar ranges legally 27 years ago.
Kamat claims the property has been in his possession ever since. However, the land mafia operating in Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani recently set their sights on his legally owned property. By forging sale documents, manipulating records, using police intimidation and brute force, and violating court orders, these mafias have seized his home. Kamat further alleged that his daughter is being threatened within their own residence.
Kamat stated that although he filed a complaint with the Revenue Minister and despite his issuing clear orders on the matter, the concerned officials ignored them. Instead, he alleges that the officials provided protection to the land grabbers, filed false cases against him, and gave tacit consent to repeated illegal encroachments.
“I am a 68-year-old senior citizen, an IIT Bombay engineer, and a heart patient. Despite this, I am being systematically harassed in Pangari village. It is absurd that a senior citizen like me is suddenly being treated as a ‘threat to society’ in the eyes of the police,” Kamat remarked.
He further noted, “I have lived a peaceful life for 67 years. Generally, land disputes are ignored as civil matters. However, in my case, the government machinery is showing an unusual and excessive zeal in trampling upon the rights and dignity of a senior citizen. This is not just a question of land; it is a question of the blatant misuse of power and authority and a total loss of respect for law-abiding citizens.”
Kamat has also sought justice from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting an independent inquiry into the matter. He has demanded strict action against the guilty officials and immediate protection for himself and other senior citizens facing a similar plight.
“This is not just a battle for my family; it is a question of the rule of law versus the abuse of power. A delay in justice for me is a denial of justice. I urge the Chief Minister, the Revenue Minister, and the concerned government agencies to break this cycle of oppression, protect the rights of senior citizens, and underscore that the rule of law still prevails in this state by granting me justice,” Kamat pleaded.
