3 min readLucknowJul 1, 2026 04:13 AM IST
Police in Sambhal have booked 31 people, including serving and former government officials, over the alleged fraudulent transfer and illegal occupation of nearly 38 bighas of gram sabha land at a prime location, valued at around Rs 100 crore.
The FIR also named several persons who were allegedly in possession of the land.
Among the 31 people named in the FIR are the then Deputy Director of Consolidation, the then Executive Officer of the Sambhal Municipal Council, and several other serving and former government officials.
No one has been arrested so far.
The case was registered following an inquiry into a complaint filed by a resident, who had alleged that the transfer of the public land was secured through forged records, involving revenue and municipal officials, along with private individuals.
“The gram sabha land, situated along the Sambhal-Moradabad highway, was allegedly transferred in favour of a local resident named Saeedul Rehman in 2008 pursuant to an order passed by the then Deputy Director of Consolidation. The mutation order was subsequently challenged before the Allahabad High Court. But the petition was not pursued further,” an official said.
According to the police, the disputed land was allegedly leased in 1967 by the Sambhal Municipal Council to Saeedul Rehman without obtaining the mandatory approval of the state government. It has been alleged that Rehman subsequently transferred portions of the land to other private parties.
Police said that in February 2008, Rehman secured a mutation order from the then Deputy Director of Consolidation on the strength of an allegedly forged lease deed purportedly issued by the Municipal Council on July 12, 1967. Relying on that order, he allegedly took possession of the Gram Sabha land.
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The mutation order was later challenged before the Allahabad High Court through a writ petition. However, the complaint alleged that the then Executive Officer of the Sambhal Municipal Council acted in collusion with the private parties and, for personal gain, deliberately failed to pursue the petition, allowing the disputed order to remain in force.
The FIR further alleged that the then Deputy Director of Consolidation and the then Executive Officer of the Sambhal Municipal Council entered into a criminal conspiracy that enabled the unlawful transfer of the high-value Gram Sabha land into the hands of alleged local resident, causing substantial loss to the public exchequer.
The case has been registered under BNS sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (gorgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (forgery for purpose of cheating). Various sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act have also been added to the FIR.
Superintendent of Police, Sambhal, Krishna Kumar said the investigtion of the case has begun.
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Last month, the disputed land was restored to the Gram Sabha after the UP government approached the Deputy Director of Consolidation for review of the earlier order.
“Following the restoration of the land records in the Gram Sabha’s name, the district administration initiated proceedings to reclaim the property and took possession of the portions on which no construction had been raised,” the official added.
Sambhal District Magistrate Ankit Khandelwal said notices have been issued to those who have built construction on the said land.