Land shark in net for preying on farmers

SIT officers said in one case,Patel duped one Ishwar Prajapati,a farmer from Dhamatvan village in Kanbha area,of 19 bighas (Survey no 994 and 1056) by making fake power of attorney papers. According to police,Patel called Prajapati to Gandhinagar telling him he needed to advertise in local newspapers that he wanted to sell his land to attract good buyers. The farmer was made to sign on blank papers and in a register that Patel maintained with clippings of other such advertisements. The unsuspecting farmer signed it only to find that Patel had grabbed his land using his signatures.

SIT officers said they found out that Patel is involved in a bigger fraud case involving land worth Rs 13.50 crore. In this case,Patel had allegedly duped Sampat Chunara,a farmer from Sanand.

Chnara owned 25 bighas worth Rs 13.50 crore in Chekhla village. Patel reportedly lured him to sell the land and assured him of getting a good customer. When Chunara agreed,Patel made fake power of attorney papers after obtaining the farmer’s signature.

Police said Patel had similarly duped another farmer from Sanand. Bavuji Thakor of Ranmalgadh had made a deal with Patel to sell his four bighas. Patel paid him for the land and using the genuine power of attorney for the deal,he forged papers to grab another 19 bighas from Thakor.