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Special panel to identify financiers backing land mafias in Prayagraj
Officials said the investigation aims to identify the alleged masterminds and financiers who operate behind the scenes and often evade scrutiny.
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The Prayagraj district administration has intensified its action against the financial network backing land mafias, with district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma constituting a special committee to identify people allegedly financing illegal land deals and profiting from farmers’ distress sales.
The committee has been tasked with tracing the complete money trail behind land deals involving identified land mafias, including the source of funds used to acquire agricultural land and the flow of money generated through subsequent sales. Officials said the investigation aims to identify the alleged masterminds and financiers who operate behind the scenes and often evade scrutiny.
As part of the investigation, the district administration has sought detailed records of land transactions from the stamp and registration department. The financial trail will also be cross-verified with bank account details in coordination with the Income Tax Department to identify suspicious transactions and funding patterns.
The committee comprises the additional district magistrate (Finance and Revenue), officials from the Nazul, agriculture and registration departments, and tehsildars from all tehsils in the district. Based on its findings, the panel will recommend action not only against identified land mafias but also against individuals found to have financed or facilitated their operations.
Officials said the inquiry will extend beyond identifying the initial source of funds. It will scrutinise every stage of the transaction chain, including the bank accounts used for land purchases, the origin of the funds and the subsequent movement of profits through multiple accounts.
Officials said the administration believes that several land mafias that emerged over the past decade were allegedly backed by influential financiers who remained behind the scenes, while those directly involved in illegal land dealings came under scrutiny. By identifying these hidden operators, the administration aims to strengthen its efforts to curb the exploitation of farmers and check illegal land transactions and colonisation.
The district administration has been carrying out an intensive crackdown on land mafias for the past several months. As part of the campaign, 19 new land mafias were recently identified. Earlier, authorities used bulldozers to demolish illegal plotting spread across nearly 20 bighas in the Jhalwa area after an inquiry found that the land had allegedly been purchased from farmers at low prices and later developed into residential colonies before being sold at substantially higher rates.
According to officials, land mafias typically acquire agricultural land from farmers at low prices, develop it into residential colonies and sell it at substantial profits. The committee will now investigate who financed these operations, with the administration asserting that stringent action will be taken against both the land mafias and those found to have funded their activities.
Confirming the move, district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma said that while identified land mafias were already facing action, those allegedly providing financial backing from behind the scenes were equally accountable. “Our objective is to identify the hidden individuals orchestrating these illegal operations. Only by bringing these people under the scanner can this nexus be effectively dismantled,” he said.
