BJP MLA accused of buying government land as private property:Complaint over Mahakal parking plot reaches MP High Court

A controversy has started over the land being used for parking near the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain. It is alleged that government land was shown as private property in official records and later sold. Reports say preparations are being made to build a five-star hotel on the land. Complaints in the matter have now reached the Lokayukta, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the High Court. The dispute is linked to nearly 45,000 square feet of land. The land was bought by Utopia Bottle and Resort Private Limited on March 2, 2026, for ₹3.82 crore. BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya from Alot and Iqbal Singh Gandhi are said to be among the directors and partners of the company. According to the complaint, some of the land parcels (khasras) included in the deal are currently being used as Mahakal Temple parking. It is alleged that this land was previously recorded in government records, but was later entered into private accounts. Rajendra Kuwal, a Congress councillor residing in Ujjain, has filed a written complaint with the Chief Secretary, Lokayukta, and EOW. A public interest litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Indore bench, demanding an investigation. Claim of govt land recorded in revenue records The complaint states that Khasra numbers 3664/1 and 3666/1 were recorded as government land in the revenue records of 1950 and 1967-68. It is alleged that later, through collusion, they were converted into private land. Allegation of irregularities in stamp duty and registry The complaint alleges that the land was registered as agricultural land, while its use is commercial. The price in the Collector’s guideline is Rs 75,400 per square meter, but in the registry, it was shown as Rs 22,500 per square meter. Claim of ₹3.40 crore loss to govt Based on the documents, the complaint states that the actual value of the 4180 square meter land is Rs 31.51 crore. According to this, approximately Rs 2.99 crore in stamp duty and Rs 94.55 lakh in registration fee was due. However, only Rs 40.36 lakh in stamp duty and Rs 12.90 lakh in registration fee were deposited. The complaint states that a marriage garden and other constructions were already present on the land, but these were concealed and only a tin shed was shown, which resulted in lower tax. Land described as Municipal Corporation’s parking Pratham Kaushik, administrator of Mahakaleshwar Temple, said that the parking at Hari Phatak and Kalp area is under the Municipal Corporation. Detailed information about the land’s use can be obtained from the Municipal Corporation. MLA says – Registry based on documents BJP MLA Chintamani Malviya said that the registry was done based on documents. All stamp and registration fees have been deposited according to the rules. He called the allegations completely false and malicious. Now, the possibility of an investigation into the matter at the police and administration level is being expressed.