Dar (Madhya Pradesh): The main conspirator of the infamous Saint Theresa land scam, Sudhir aka Bunny Das has been arrested by Dhar police in connection with another land scam. Police brought him before the special court on Sunday, from where he was remanded until March 30, Nogaon police station chief Anand Tiwari said.

Notably, Das had already been released on bail from prison about a month and a half ago in connection with the St Teresa land scam.

Tiwari added that other defendants could be arrested in the case after police questioned Das. Police have also registered a case against Ankit, son of Ullasmal Vadera, a resident of Dewas and currently residing in Chhoti Gwaltoli, Indore. Ankit, a brother-in-law of Sudhir Jain, another key conspirator in the Saint Theresa land scam, purchased land from Das. Jain is still beyond the reach of the police.

Reportedly, Naugaon Police have registered a case based on Tehsildar Vinod Rathore’s investigation report. Sudhir Das had prepared a deed at the Deputy Registrar’s office to lease this land for 29 years in 2008.

After a year in 2009, a sales contract was concluded in the name of Ankit Vadera. In this Das introduced himself as the owner but in reality this land was donated by Dhar Maharaj to build a women’s hospital for the welfare of the people.

After the end of the rules of the princely state, the land was registered in the name of the government.

Based on receipts from the municipality, the administrator had his name registered as the owner. Naugaon Police have also requested from the municipality all documents recorded in the transfer and ownership in this case so far.

Congress, BJP demands action; BJP and Congress leaders raised the issue

The matter was brought to light on December 24, 2019, before the then District Collector, Shrikant Bhanoth, during the weekly hearing when BJP and Congress corporators led by the Vice President of the Municipality of Kalicharan Sonwaniya and Acting Congressional District Chairman Rakesh Dod raised the issue by claiming that Sudhir Das allegedly dismantled the charity hospital building built on 0.493 hectare land some distance from the Dhar fort on the basis of falsified documents. The current value of this land is in crores of rupees.

Both party leaders requested the intervention of the administration and three years later, on March 25, 2022, the police registered a case against the defendants Sudhir Das and Ankit Vadera under Articles 409, 420, 467, 468 , 471, 120B of the Indian Penal Code. Das was also booked under similar sections in the St Teresa land scam.

Encroachments removed

Three years ago in 2019, after the BJP and Congress took the matter to the administration, SDM Virendra Katare and the tehsil and nazul team regained possession of six illegally operated shops on 0.493 hectares in Mission Compound Hospital. After that, possession of the building was handed over to Dhar Municipality.

Das pretended to be a landowner based on fake documents

According to the evidence updated so far, the Das family arrived in Dhar in 1972. The existence of the hospital and the land has been recorded in government records for around 100 years. Despite this, Das impersonated the real owner of the land based on false documents. Vadera was also charged under similar articles for the sale of government land and the purchase of tribal land.

Posted: Sunday, March 27, 2022, 10:17 p.m. IST