A tribal woman from Uran in Raigad has lodged a police complaint against local revenue officials and several others for allegedly seizing her ancestral protected agricultural land in Dighode village, Uran. The woman, identified as Mukta Katkari, claims that the accused forged revenue documents and sold the property without her consent. The land, measuring approximately 5 acres, is estimated to be worth crores of rupees.
The disputed property is located near the Mumbai MTHL (Nava Sheva-Sewree) project, according to local activists. They allege that corrupt revenue officials of Uran were involved in converting the land from agricultural to non-agricultural land. Mukta Katkari, a 60-year-old resident of Adivasi Wadi, Punade, Uran, states in her complaint that her grandfather and father used to cultivate the land, and after their passing, the Katkari legal heirs continued farming. However, they were forcibly asked to vacate the plot, and currently, a container yard operates on the disputed land.
After intervention by senior police officials, the Uran police registered a case against nine accused individuals, including a former lady revenue official. Some of the accused have sought anticipatory bail before the Panvel Sessions court, with the hearing scheduled for June 6.
The land fraud came to light after Professor Rajendra Madhavi, a social worker and Vice President of Uran Samajik Sanstha, filed an RTI. Professor Madhavi, who has been working on tribal rights in the area, discovered several cases of tribals being deprived of basic government facilities. Upon collecting relevant documents related to Mukta Katkari’s property, it was revealed that the land records were forged, and the land was converted without her consent.
“The victim, Mukta, is the granddaughter of the actual owner of the property, her late grandfather Gopal Katkari, who passed away in 1980. All three of his sons have also passed away over time, but the original legal heirs of the Katkari family are still alive. Mukta is fighting on behalf of the family,” stated Professor Madhavi.
Advocate Siddharth Ingle accuses the police of initially delaying the complaint and alleges their complicity with the accused. After intervention and a meeting with senior officials, the FIR was registered. No arrests have been made as the accused have filed an anticipatory bail plea.
According to Advocate Ingle, the case involves the illegal seizure of ancestral agricultural land belonging to poor and illiterate tribal landowners. The landsharks colluded with corrupt revenue officials to manipulate and forge land records, resulting in the unauthorized conversion of protected tribal land into non-agricultural land. The estimated value of the land is in crores of rupees. The land revenue code prohibits the transfer or sale of tribal land to non-tribals without permission from the Collector, who is responsible for protecting such lands.
Ingle further added, “The conversion of tribal agricultural land into non-agricultural land, as occurred in this case, is a violation of the land revenue code. We have brought this matter to the notice of the Collector, who has assured us that an inquiry will be conducted.”
In Mukta’s police complaint, she states that she belongs to the Katkari tribe and that her late grandfather Gopal Katkari owned the land in question. After his demise, the names of the legal heirs should have been recorded in the revenue records. However, the mutation entry in the land record allegedly shows four names – Tulsiram Babu Gharat, Lahu Babu Gharat, Ankush Babu Gharat, and Bharat Babu Gharat
