Former circle officer of Guwahati arrested by Guwahati Police

Guwahati: In reference to Bharalumukh Police Case No. 357/2023, U/S 420/406/409/468/471/34 of the Indian Penal Code, which is currently being investigated by the crime branch, Guwahati Police have arrested several people, including the then circle officer of the Guwahati Revenue Circle.

Based on evidence collected during the still ongoing investigation, Lakhyajit Duwaria, ACS, the then-Circle Officer of Guwahati Revenue Circle, has also been arrested and taken into police remand for further interrogation. Tapash Choudhury has been arrested for the fraudulent sale of the land. Sangeet Jain, son of Sarita Devi Jain, has also been arrested for his involvement in the nexus. Another key accused of the development, Pradip Kumar Das, however, managed to obtain pre-arrest bail and is being questioned by the police. Lat Mandal Ratneswar Das was also arrested.

The case was registered on the basis of an FIR filed by Dushmanta Medhi of Bharalumukh, Guwahati, Assam, against the then Circle Officer and his accomplices involved in the manufactured mutation of a prime plot of land measuring 3 Kathas and 10 Lechas, covered by Dag No. 1324 of K.P. Patta No. 803 and Dag No. 1323 of K.P. Patta No. 802, situated at Santipur under revenue village Sahar Guwahati Part -1 under Mouza Guwahati.

After the death of Late Subhadra Medhi, the Probate Title Suit No. 05/2018 was preferred in the Civil Court by the family of Late Bira Bhadra Medhi to execute the 'Will' of Late Subhadra Medhi. But Shri Pradip Kumar Das of Bharalumukh filed an objection before the Civil Court, claiming that he had purchased the said plot of land long ago from Late Subhadra Medhi.

Pradip Kumar Das, resident of PNGB Road, Santipur Hill Side, Bharalumukh, Guwahati, had produced an allegedly manufactured Sale Deed bearing No. 15840 dated 31/12/2008, with allegedly forged signatures of Lt. Subhadra Medhi, S/o Lt Kali Ram Medhi and applied for mutation in the Office of the Circle Office, Guwahati Revenue Circle, in 2022, after a gap of 14 years from the alleged date of purchase.

 A written objection was filed before Lakhyajit Duwoaria, the then Circle Officer of Guwahati Revenue Circle, who did not pay any attention to the submission and passed an Order of Mutation in connivance with the concerned Lat Mandal, Ratneshwar Das, in favour of Pradip Kumar Das based on fabricated documents. 

The genuineness of the alleged sale deed produced by Pradip Kumar Das was verified by the Office of the Sub-Registrar, Kamrup (Metro), and it was found that it was a false document uploaded to the software system fraudulently. The fee book dated 31/12/2008 was seized from the Office of the Sub-Registrar, Kamrup (Metro), but no mention of the deed number 15840 dated 31/12/2008 was found, on the strength of which the mutation was carried out. The Deputy Registrar opined that the sale deed was fake. The scanned copy of the sale deed was uploaded on 16/08/2017 with the connivance of the official(s) of the office of the sub-registrar, Kamrup (Metro).

During interrogation, the arrested Lat Mandal Ratneswar Das disclosed that the then Circle Officer specifically instructed him to give a report favouring Pradip Kumar Das in the instant mutation. During the investigation, it was revealed that Pradip Kumar Das conspired with land broker Tapash Choudhury and others, procured fake land documents, got his name mutated against the said plot, and later sold it off to one Sarita Devi Jain in return for a hefty price with help from the then circle officer.   

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