MP HIGH Court on Friday directed the State government and others to maintain a status quo and prohibited alienation (sale) of some 24 acres of land of the Oka Charity Trust in village Bilhari, allegedly sold through fake auction.
The Maharashtra Shikshan Mandal, a 72-year-old society, which runs educational institutions had filed a petition seeking direction for a CBI probe into the auction that it alleged never took place.
The Trust’s land was auctioned in connivance with the Additional Collector, who was then Registrar, Public Trusts Sub-Divisional Officer Dipak Singh and Tehsildar Mohammad Shahid Khan, the petition claimed.
A sale deed of the land was executed in name of one Praveen Verma for Rs 75 lakh against the market rate of over Rs 15 crore, the petition claimed.
The Oka Charity Trust on August 22 last year had sought permission from the Registrar public trust for executing a deed with the Maharashtra Shikshan Mandal, Jabalpur. Despite this Additional Collector Singh and Tehsildar Khan allegedly arranged a fake auction and a sale deed in the name of Verma.
Justice K. K. Lahoti heard Mandal’s counsels senior advocate N S Kale and Kapil Patwardhan before issuing the direction to issue notices. The counsels argued that the said land was reserved for setting an educational institution for the children of the poor. The counsels said the officials had favoured Praveen Verma, who tried to sell the land by carving out small plots to individuals.
Justice K. K. Lahoti heard Mandal’s counsels senior advocate N S Kale and Kapil Patwardhan before issuing the direction to issue notices. The counsels argued that the said land was reserved for setting an educational institution for the children of the poor. The counsels said the officials had favoured Praveen Verma, who tried to sell the land by carving out small plots to individuals.