India News | 92-year-old Army Veteran Alleges Fraudulent Sale of Allotted Land in Rajasthan, Seeks Justice
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Speaking to ANI, the veteran recounted how his family transformed the barren desert land in Mohangarh into fertile agricultural land after years of hard work, only to discover that it had allegedly been sold fraudulently.
Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) [India], July 12 (ANI): A 92-year-old retired Indian Army officer, Captain Chunnilal, has alleged that his agricultural land in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district was fraudulently mortgaged, transferred and sold without his knowledge by using forged documents and an impersonator.
Following his complaint, the police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the matter.
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Captain Chunnilal, a veteran who served in the 1962 war with China and the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, alleged that the land allotted to his family under the rehabilitation programme for the Pong Dam project in Himachal Pradesh oustees was illegally transferred and sold despite him possessing the original ownership documents.
Speaking to ANI, the veteran recounted how his family transformed the barren desert land in Mohangarh into fertile agricultural land after years of hard work, only to discover that it had allegedly been sold fraudulently.
"After retiring from the Army, I came to Bassi. Before my retirement, I had served in the Kargil War. I fought that war not only for myself but for my country. Our family had fertile agricultural land near Himachal Pradesh. However, the government acquired our land for the Pong Dam project. The compensation we received was not enough. We were told that displaced families would be allotted land in Rajasthan. I was allotted land in Mohangarh. When I first arrived there, I found nothing but sand everywhere. Over the years, with great effort, we improved the land... Slowly, the land became productive. However, after so many years of hard work, someone fraudulently sold my land by creating fake documents and using an impersonator. I fail to understand how such a thing could happen. I am over 90 years old. Therefore, I humbly request that my case be transferred to Himachal Pradesh so that I can attend the hearings more easily and pursue justice," he said.
Retired Army officer's son, Multan Singh Thakur, alleged that despite approaching multiple police stations and revenue authorities after learning about the land registration and mutation, no immediate action was taken.
According to Thakur, the family first approached the Mohangarh Police Station before being directed to the PTM Police Station, which in turn referred them to the Kotwali Police Station, where the land registration had allegedly taken place.
"My father has fought three wars for the country, and this is the fourth war he is fighting to protect his land. He is 90 years old. When we learned that our land had been registered on June 16 and the mutation was done on June 22. We immediately came here. We first went to Mohangarh Police Station, but they sent us to the PTM Police Station, saying it was under their jurisdiction. The PTM Police Station then told us to go to Kotwali because the registration had taken place there. We met the Tehsildar and the Patwari and informed them that someone had impersonated my father. The fake person claimed to be 75 years old, while my father is 90. We requested the Tehsildar to cancel the mutation, but he said his job was only to register the property and that we should go to court. Our FIR was also not being registered. Only after the SP intervened was an FIR finally lodged at the Kotwali Police Station," he told ANI.
Thakur further said that the Superintendent of Police assured the family that due legal action would be taken. He added that his father's health had deteriorated while pursuing the matter and appealed to the Himachal Pradesh government for assistance.
"The Superintendent of Police (SP) assured my father that he would get his land back. For the last three days, we have been running from one office to another. My father's condition has deteriorated so much that he was falling asleep even while giving fingerprints. He is a heart patient, yet he remains determined to fight this fourth battle. I request the Himachal Pradesh government to help us. We have already spent lakhs of rupees, yet we are still struggling to recover our own land. Our land in Himachal was acquired for the Pong Dam, and we were rehabilitated here with the promise that we could build a livelihood. We were planning to install tube wells and settle here after years of hard work. But if our land is taken away, where will we go? How will we survive?. We are the sons of a soldier. We are not going to run away or give up. We will continue this fight. But the administration must also do its duty and provide us the justice and support we deserve," he said.
Retired Sergeant Lalaram Chaudhary, who has been assisting Captain Chunnilal, alleged that the land was sold for nearly Rs 25 lakh despite the veteran possessing the original ownership documents. He urged the authorities to ensure justice for the retired Army officer and take strict action against those responsible.
"Whenever a soldier or military family is cheated, they come to me for help. For Captain Chunnilal, who has been running from office to office for 8 days, I even arranged a vehicle by taking a loan so that he could travel without worrying about taxi expenses. Today I am here for retired Captain Chunnilal from Himachal Pradesh, whose land has been fraudulently registered by brokers. He has all the original documents, yet no authority bothered to verify them. His land was sold for around Rs 25 lakh, and the money has already been distributed. This is the same man who fought the 1962 and 1971 wars for the country. Today, he is fighting his fourth battle for his own land. Is this good governance? Did leaders like Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Rani Lakshmibai sacrifice their lives to see such an India?... I fold my hands and request those in authority to listen to the problems of our soldiers and take immediate action to deliver justice to this 90-year-old veteran," he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police Revatdan confirmed that a case has been registered at the Kotwali Police Station and that the allegations are being investigated.
"An ex-army man came to us and told us that he has a Murba here which some people have impersonated and got registered in the name of someone else... A case has been registered at the police station, Kotwali. After completing the investigation properly, whatever action is required will be taken," he said.
Police said further action will be taken on the basis of the findings of the investigation. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)