Government land scam worth ₹30 crore unearthed in Gujarat’s Halvad, 4 arrested for forging records

A land scam involving government property worth ₹30.80 crore has come to light in Gujarat’s Halvad taluka in Morbi, where fake records were allegedly created to usurp 138 acres of state-owned land. The Halvad mamlatdar has lodged a complaint against nine accused, while police have arrested four of them so far.

The case traces back to an application filed on October 1, 2021, by one Jagdish Raval, who alerted the Collector’s office that certain individuals were forging official seals, signatures, and fake stamps to prepare bogus land transfer orders. Following his complaint, the Halvad prant officer informed the District Land Vigilance Committee, leading to a detailed inquiry.

During the first phase of investigation, officials discovered that fake rubber stamps, forged signatures, fabricated records, and bogus orders were used to manipulate revenue entries in government land records of Koiba, Ghanshyampur, and Sundari villages of Halvad taluka.

According to the complaint filed by Executive Magistrate and Mamlatdar of Halvad Alkeshbhai Prafulchandra Bhatt, the accused conspired to misappropriate government land by creating counterfeit documents, false revenue orders, and fabricated signatures of the officials. The accused allegedly used forged rubber stamps of government offices and fraudulently recorded government land under their own names.

The alleged mastermind behind the operation has been identified as Ramesh Sakariya, a resident of Koiba, who had submitted an application with forged documents and fake signatures to the Halvad mamlatdar on March 26, 2016. Between 2016 and 2020, other accused also filed several fake applications to alter revenue records and transfer government land in their names.

Halvad Police have booked nine accused and arrested four of them —

• Chhagan Dhariyaparmar (58), trader, resident of Halvad
• Mavjibhai Tabha Rathod (59), retired, resident of Ghanshyampur
• Hamir Vanani (70), farmer, resident of Raysangpar (Velala)
• Dineshbhai Hamirbhai Vanani (42), farmer, from Raysangpar (Velala)