A special court in Bhopal has sentenced four officials of the District Cooperative and Rural Development Bank and a buyer to three years in prison each for their involvement in an illegal land sale. The court found them guilty of selling 3.50 acres of land worth ₹1.76 lakh for just ₹50,000 through fraudulent means.
Court’s Verdict and Penalty
The verdict was delivered by Special Judge Manoj Kumar Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Along with the prison sentence, each convict was also fined ₹2,000.
According to Special Public Prosecutor Hemlata Kushwaha, the convicted individuals include:
- Harihar Prasad Mishra – Former Sales Officer, District Cooperative and Rural Development Bank
- Vijendra Kaushal – Former Bank Official
- Ashok Kumar Mukhraiya – Former General Manager
- APS Kushwaha – Former Cooperative Inspector
- Paramjeet Bedi – Buyer of the land
They were convicted under Section 420 (cheating) and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, along with Sections 13(1)(D) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
How the Fraud Happened
The case revolves around the land of Saira Bano, a farmer from Fatehpur Dogra village, Huzur tehsil, Bhopal district. She owned 3.50 acres of agricultural land, which was valued at ₹1.76 lakh. However, in an illegal transaction, the accused officials sold it to Paramjeet Bedi on June 30, 2001, for just ₹50,000.
Saira Bano had taken a loan of ₹18,000 in 1985-86 for constructing a well and installing a pump. By the year 2000, only ₹9,000 was left to be repaid. However, instead of informing her properly or following legal auction procedures, the officials conspired to sell the land at an undervalued price, violating both banking regulations and government rules.
Illegal Auction and Forged Documents
Between 2000 and 2007, there were ongoing processes to auction agricultural land in cases of unpaid loans. However, the convicted officials:
- Did not notify Saira Bano properly about the sale.
- Sold the land at a price much lower than the government-determined market value.
- Created forged documents to justify the illegal auction.
- Sent these fake documents to the Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Bhopal, for confirmation.
Unfortunately, Joint Registrar BS Vaskel, who had approved the illegal auction, passed away during the trial.
Lokayukta Investigation and Final Action
After receiving a written complaint, the Lokayukta Police conducted an investigation and registered a case against the accused officials. Based on the findings, the court found them guilty and sentenced them to three years in jail.