Court sentences builder Raman Patel to 4-year jail in Chekhla land fraud case

A local court in Sanand has convicted builder Raman Patel and sentenced him to four years of imprisonment in connection with a land fraud case in Chekhla village.

In addition to the jail term, the court imposed a fine of ₹1,40,000 on the accused. As part of the verdict, the court directed that ₹1 lakh from the fine amount be paid to the heirs of the victim farmer, Jivabhai.

During the trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses and presented 46 documents as evidence. Patel was accused of fraudulently acquiring land in Chekhla village through fabricated documents. Following his arrest, a charge sheet was filed against him in the trial court.

The accused had premeditated a conspiracy to fraudulently acquire land worth crores in Chekhla. Despite knowing that the land was classified under restricted rights, which legally prohibits registration, they registered the sale documents under various company names. Furthermore, they produced a fake and forged order at Sanand Mamlatdar’s office to convert the new conditional land into old terms, securing the fraudulent registration.

The police had gathered ample evidence against the accused, including details of the fraudulent transactions and the companies involved. Patel has 11 prior cases registered against him for illegally acquiring farmers' land, and his financial power has played a significant role in his criminal activities.

 The court found Patel guilty under Sections 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), and 471 (using forged documents) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).