Land mafia seizes 100 plots in Bhopal’s Jan Sahyog Colony:Double registry of one plot, occupants building houses in front of real owners; administration unaware

In Bhopal’s Khajuri area, the residents of Jan Sahyog Colony are caught in a nightmare of illegal encroachments and fraudulent land dealings. What began as a quiet, 40-year-old colony has turned into a battlefield where plots are being sold multiple times, boundaries demolished, and houses rapidly constructed, leaving original owners helpless. Retired bank manager M.P. Laturkar explains the despair vividly. He said, After retirement from the bank, I used my savings to buy a plot 100 meters from my house as an investment. I spent 20 lakh rupees, including registration. Last year, some people arrived with a JCB and began demolishing my boundary wall. When my wife tried to stop them, they threatened her: ‘We also have a registry. If you interfere, we’ll run the JCB over you.’ Despite repeated complaints from the police station to the collectorate, the encroachers continued constructing a house on Laturkar’s plot, completing rooms and laying the roof within two months. This helplessness is not limited to one family, over 100 plot owners in Jan Sahyog Colony are facing similar crises. Read the report to know the whole matter Chaos in the colony Behind SOS Balgram in the Awadhpuri area, adjacent to Gopal Nagar, the colony is now a scene of constant construction and demolition. Labourers prepare roofs, JCB machines move rapidly, and ground-breaking ceremonies occur alongside boundary demolitions. Walls still bear the names of the original owners, but an unspoken rule dominates: whoever builds first is considered the occupier. Administration and law enforcement seem absent. How did the scam begin? The roots of this crisis stretch back decades. Mahendra Mishra, a retired TI and long-time resident, explains: In 1984, an organisation named Sarvodaya sold agricultural land in Khajuri to 120 members through sale deeds, with 50 more on a waiting list. Back then, there was no clear map, and the land wasn’t diverted. The area remained deserted for years. On September 30, 2002, Jan Sahyog Grih Nirman Samiti purchased 7 acres of land from all 170 members of Sarvodaya. For 20 years, the society obtained necessary permissions, allocated plots, and registered members who paid development fees. Many built homes, though about 100 plots remained vacant. Court order triggers land mafia activity Double registration in action Many plots were sold multiple times within days. Laturkar’s plot number 12, originally his, was sold to Gajendra Malviya on November 3 and again to Monu on November 11, both registries signed by Sarvodaya president Ramakrishna Pillai. Similarly, plot number 3, owned by lawyer Jitendra Mahesh since 1989, was sold on November 18, 2025, to two individuals despite a foundation and boundary already in place. High Court ruling On January 6, 2026, the High Court quashed the lower court’s 2024 order, confirming the validity of the 2002 deal and recognizing all Jan Sahyog Samiti members as rightful owners. However, uncertainty remains over approximately 100 vacant plots already double-registered, the park, and other land sold to multiple buyers. Cases illustrating the fraud Case 1: Plot bought in 1989, now occupied J.P. Baghel’s plot number 30, registered in 1989, was sold to others by Sarvodaya while the government watched silently. Over 90 fraudulent registrations have occurred in recent months, affecting elderly owners and women in particular. Case 2: Erected pillars ignored Jitendra Kumar Mahesh recounts, ‘My father bought a plot in 1989, completed registration, mutation, and laid pillars seven years ago. On November 18, the plot was suddenly shown as vacant and registered to two others.’ Case 3: Plot sold cheaply and encroached Sundar Rajan bought a plot for his brother in 2014 for 14 lakh rupees, fenced it, and planted trees. Two months ago, encroachers demolished the fence with a JCB and threatened him with death. The plot was resold for 4 lakh, and construction began immediately. Complaints to the police and public authorities yielded no action. Administration’s response When contacted, Ramakrishna Pillai claimed, ‘That was a mistake.’ MP Nagar SDM L.K. Khare acknowledged disputes over some plots but denied large-scale double registration. The High Court’s recent decision has prompted administrative steps, with authorities reviewing maps and mutations as per the ruling.