STF seize fake documents from jailed land mafia boss’s property

INDORE: Several important documents and registries were seized from different locations and houses owned by Mangilal Thakur, the accused arrested in Yogesh Garg murder, in relation to the Rasalpura land scam.
Thakur who was lodged in Mhow Jail was taken on remand by the Special Task Force (STF) on Tuesday for five days.
The Rasalpura land scam had come to fore after officials of the church of North India and other institutions had approached the STF with a complaint that Solomon Smith, the so called president of bogus institution Indian Canadian Presbyterian Mission, had received over nine hectare land in his name with the help of accused revenue officers.
Later in 2013, Solomon sold this government land allotted to church to Mangilal Thakur and he in turn sold the land to other people.
“During interrogation, certain information like forged documents used were seized from his houses and offices. The search at his office yielded various incriminating documents and seals of various government departments,” STF officials told TOI.
It also came to the fore that a press card in the name of Mangilal was recovered from the office. Sources said a visiting card, in which Solomon Smith was mentioned as general secretary of minorities of a political party, was also recovered.
It had come to fore that the Rasalpura land was given on lease by the then government in 1910-1911 to the United Church of Canada for educational purposes.
The land remained under the possession of the United Church of Canada and its representative institute in Madhya Pradesh – the Diocese of Bhopal — for a long time.
Following objections from various institutions, the land was declared as unclaimed by the administration on February 10, 1992.
Then tehsildar KC Vyas included Solomon Smith’s name in land revenue records in 1997 but the matter was investigated by the then SDO and upper collector and the land was again transferred to the government.
However, after Smith made an appeal regarding the land, it was transferred on his name with the help of revenue board official MK Singh.
Smith formed a bogus institution namely Indian Canadian Presbyterian Mission and grabbed Rasalpura church land in Mhow.
The investigation revealed Smith prepared bogus documents and in criminal conspiracy with others including revenue officials and had his name added in the revenue records.
Thakur fraudulently included the names of his driver, wife and three other persons from Khandwa as the members of the ICP mission. Bogus meeting minutes were prepared and forged and fake signatures of these persons were used by Smith.
The accused also purchased various SUVs in the name of the aforesaid fictitious mission. The land was then sold to Thakur and he then sold it to the villagers. Saloman was arrested from Jaipur on August 11 and was taken on remand till August 16.