NUAPADA : Nuapada police has arrested four persons in connection with the Chandopala land fraud case, three days after the owner of the property tracked down the man who impersonated him to sell his land.
The arrested persons are Dumal Rana of Gudbheli village under Goherapadar in Chhattisgarh, who impersonated landowner Satyanarayan Pradhani, besides Deomati Majhi of Deodara village in Komna and two land brokers Dullav Nial of Solbandh and Tulasi Rana of Samarsingh village, said police. Deomati had allegedly posed as the land owner’s sister, Kumudini.
Komna police arrested the accused and produced in court on Sunday. The arrests comes after Satyanarayan traced the person accused of impersonating him. With alleged delay in police action even after registration of a case, Satyanarayan’s family had circulated the photograph of the fake owner through social media. Their efforts led them to Rana, who was traced to Tetelkunti village under Mainpur police limits in Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh.
The family caught Rana and handed him over to Sinapali police on September 4. Subsequently, Komna police took the accused into custody and questioned him. Satyanarayan’s family had threatened to stage dharna outside the Nuapada collector’s office on September 7 if police failed to arrest the accused.
Nuapada SDPO Khireshwar Sahu confirmed the arrests and said investigation is continuing to establish the role of the remaining accused and others involved in the fraudulent transaction.
The case pertains to the fraudulent sale of 4.40 acres of land belonging to Satyanarayan and his sister Kumudini at Chandopala under Komna tehsil in Nuapada. Satyanarayan discovered the sale while completing formalities for paddy procurement last month.
According to Satyanarayan’s complaint, the land was allegedly sold on April 23 by impersonation and using forged identity documents.
After the fraud came to fore, the then Komna tehsildar and sub-registrar Sarbeswar Jal and assistant RI Ramnath Mishra were placed under suspension.