Gandhinagar ex-collector SK Langa booked for causing loss to state exchequer

A complaint against Langa was registered by Dhaivat Dhruv, an official from the district collectorate. The FIR was registered late Wednesday at the Sector 7 police station of Gandhinagar. Apart from Langa, then Chitnish to the collector and then resident additional collector (RAC) of Gandhinagar, have also been named as accused in the FIR.

Langa and the two others have been booked under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 168 (public servant unlawfully engaging in trade), 193 (false evidence), 196 (using evidence known to be false), 465 (forgery), 466 (forgery of record of public register), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC as well as under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

As per the FIR, since a number of decisions taken by Langa when he was the collector were to be inquired into, the government had appointed retired IAS officer Vinay Vyasa as a special inquiry officer. Vyasa had submitted an interim report, recommending that legal action be initiated against Langa, the then Chitnish and then RAC.

Over 5,904 decisions related to land parcels taken by Langa as the collector are under the scanner. He is accused of violating rules and legal provisions related to land in granting non-agricultural status in the district.

In some cases, Langa has been accused of misusing his authority as collector in considering “new tenure land” as “old tenure land” and causing loss to the state exchequer. He is also accused of holding a huge parcel of government land in Pethapur village of the district as private land.

As per the FIR, Langa cleared a number of files related to granting non-agricultural (NA) status to land parcels during the last days before his retirement. He is also accused of granting farmer status to non-farmers without carrying out proper verification.

The FIR alleged that Langa as an officer lacked in “sincerity” and “honesty” and “overlooked” government rules and legal provisions for his personal interest and for the interest of his cronies. He is also accused of adopting “pick and choose” policy as collector, based on which applicants were allegedly harassed when financial settlements did not work out.

The then Chitnish to the collector and then RAC have been booked for allegedly aligning with Langa while carrying out the “illegal acts”.

Further, Langa has been accused of inappropriately granting sand mining lease and gun licenses in the district. He is also accused of having partnership in a rice mill in Bavla of Ahmedabad district.

Moreover, a request has been made in the FIR to get Langa’s alleged disproportionate assets investigated by the Anti Corruption Bureau. It has been alleged that Langa has a farm house in Sanand, a bungalow and four shops in Bopal and other benami properties.

Deputy Superintendent of Police D S Patel, who is investigating officer in the case, said, “The FIR has just been lodged. Now, we will take records for various allegations and other evidences and statements of the witnesses.”