Police to probe allegations of converting land title

A local court has asked police to investigate whether Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat and some top bureaucrats have failed to take action against an official who allegedly accorded sanction to nine illegal layouts in the city.

Judicial Magistrate First Class Vijay Chavan yesterday directed the Wadgaon Road police station officer to probe the role of Thorat, ex-chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, the principal secretary of Urban Development and the deputy commissioner of Nagpur Anantrao Bharkade and submit a report within three months under section 202 of CrPc (postponement of issue of process) in this regard.

According to complainant and activist Digambar Pajgade, Bharkade during his tenure as Yavatmal additional collector in 1999-2002, granted Non Agriculture (NA) permission to nine bogus layouts overruling the objections raised by Town Planning Department, resulting in undue gain for land developers. Pajgade said despite Amravati Municipal Commissioner indicting Bharkade in this regard and submitting report to the state government in 2006 no action was taken against the officer.