EOW arrests man accused of grabbing govt land

Lucknow: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Sunday arrested an absconding accused involved in a large-scale racket of illegal encroachment and fraudulent sale of govt land in Lucknow.The accused identified as Kamal Kumar Seth was part of an organised gang that allegedly occupied valuable govt properties, including ponds, grazing land and gram sabha land, and sold them to unsuspecting buyers using forged and fabricated documents. He was arrested from Chandigarh.According to officials, the case was originally registered at Krishnanagar police station, Lucknow, under Sections 467, 468, 471, 420, 447, 441, 504 and 506 of the IPC, along with Section 3(1)(10) of the SC/ST Act. The accused and his associates allegedly threatened complainants whenever objections were raised against their illegal activities.On the directions of the state govt, the investigation was later transferred to EOW which identified eight accused involved in the organised land-grab syndicate. Of these, six accused were arrested earlier, and chargesheets were already filed against them in the competent court.One of the key accused, Kamal Kumar Seth, a resident of Lucknow, evaded arrest for a prolonged period. Despite sustained efforts by EOW, he remained on the run by frequently changing locations to avoid apprehension.An EOW team from Lucknow arrested Kamal Kumar Seth, from Chandigarh, Punjab.Police officials said legal proceedings were underway.