Attempt to illegally grab 54 acres near Chikalthana industrial area

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Authorities exposed a scheme to illegally sell 54 acres of government land in Brijwadi near Chikalthana Industrial Area, valued at crores. The fraud involved fake documents and forged signatures of the Revenue Minister, Divisional Commissioner, and District Collector. City Chowk police registered a case on Friday after Gevrai’s Deputy Tehsildar flagged the suspicious documents.

The land, in Survey No. 1, Group No. 30, measures 54 acres and 30 gunthas. On August 28, 2025, Deputy Tehsildar Sanjay Sonawane received an order for the land’s sale. Suspecting foul play, he contacted Deepak Agle, personal assistant to Divisional Commissioner Jitendra Papalkar, via WhatsApp. Agle confirmed with senior officers that no such order existed. The District Collector’s office immediately instructed Deputy Tehsildar Sanjay Shinde to file a police complaint. Sub-inspector Ajit Dagadkhair registered a case against unknown suspects.

Administration Lapses

• Gevrai officials uncovered the scam while the District Collector, Revenue, and Tehsil offices remained unaware.

• The plan targeted prime industrial land using forged signatures of Divisional Commissioner Papalkar and District Collector Swami.

• Conspirators used four fake stamps: three circular Maharashtra Government stamps and one triangular Immigration Department stamp.

Protocol Error Exposed the Fraud

Three main conspirators created the fake orders. Normally, official orders list the Revenue Minister first, followed by the divisional commissioner and district collector. The forged document reversed this order, alerting authorities. Government land decisions rest with the Additional District Collector, Resident Sub-Divisional Officer, and District Collector, while the Revenue Minister is informed last.

Why the Scam Went Undetected

The land dispute dates back to 2022-23 and is pending with sub-divisional officer Dr Vyankatesh Rathod. This marks the second major land scam revealed in consecutive years.