Pong Dam oustees’ land sold using fake papers in R’sthan

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, SEPTEMBER 27

Four Pong Dam oustees from Nurpur have fallen prey to the land mafia and lost their lands allotted to them in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, after their displacement in Himachal Pradesh.

Parkash Chand of Talara, Baldev Raj of Sukhar, Gorkhi Ram of Bhugnara and Sadhu Ram of Bhatolli-Fakorian (Haripur) were allotted 6.25 hectares each in Nachan of Jaisalmer district.

They had got ownership rights of the land after two decades and were cultivating it through hired labour. But during the pandemic, the land mafia allegedly sold their lands to locals through sale deeds by using forged documents. The mafia made forged power of attorneys on behalf of the oustees by using their Aadhaar cards and got these attested from a notary public in Sriganganagar. The notary public, whose stamps, name and signatures were used, had died five years ago. The gang kingpin first bought and got the lands transferred in his favour in August. He further sold these lands to the locals.

The victims, who had returned to their native places after the lockdown, startled to know when someone from Rajasthan rang them that their lands had been sold. They have been running from pillar to post to get a forgery case registered against the mafia.

They have appealed to the Chief Minister. Hans Raj, president of the Pong Dam Oustees’ Samiti, said many oustees had lost their land through forged sale deeds but no action had been taken against the mafia in Rajasthan which also had a nexus with some government employees in HP. He said these employees provided details to the mafia about the owners and their lands allotted in Rajasthan.