E-Paper
Alleged fraud in Umbha revenue records: HC asks for reply to PIL seeking judicial inquiry
The Allahabad high court has directed the state counsel to file a counter- affidavit in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a judicial
The Allahabad high court has directed the state counsel to file a counter- affidavit in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the alleged fraud committed in the revenue records of Umbha village of Ghorawal area in Sonbhadra district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The alleged fraud ultimately resulted in the killing of 10 tribals over a land dispute in July, the PIL claimed.
Hearing the PIL filed by Nityanand, a Sonbhadra-based lawyer, a division bench comprising justice Bharati Sapru and justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal directed to list this case after two weeks for the next hearing.
Ten tribals were killed and 18 others received serious injuries on July 17, 2019 when they resisted an alleged attempt by the village pradhan and his supporters to take possession of 90 bighas of disputed land at Umbha village in Ghorawal area of Sonbhadra district. The men accompanying the village head had allegedly opened fire, resulting in the death of nine people on the spot.
The incident had rocked the state and on the following day, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission of Uttar Pradesh asked the state government to invoke the Gangster’s Act against the accused.
The petitioner has requested the court to direct the authorities concerned to have a judicial inquiry into the revenue records conducted to ascertain how the land in Umbha village, which had been in possession of the tribals, was transferred in the name of Adarsh Co-operative Society and, thereafter, to private persons. He has alleged that the transfer of land was done through fraudulent means.
The petitioner has also requested that the name of tribals be registered in the revenue records on the basis of their continued possession since 1950.
The petitioner has also requested the court to order a judicial inquiry to ascertain how the state land, which was in the possession of scheduled tribes, was fraudulently recorded in the name of Adarsh Co-operative Limited. Subsequently, the name of the society was removed and it was transferred to private persons.
The petitioner has requested the court to issue an interim directive to the district authorities concerned not to dispossess the tribals from the aforesaid land.
