A special district court on Saturday sentenced four bank officials and a buyer to three years' imprisonment for illegally auctioning 3.50 acres of farmland worth Rs 1.76 lakh for just Rs 50,000. Special Judge Manoj Kumar Singh convicted them under the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC Sections 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy), also imposing a Rs 2,000 fine on each accused.
The convicted individuals include former District Cooperative and Rural Development Bank sales officer Harihar Prasad Mishra, former general manager Ashok Kumar Mukhraiya, cooperative inspector APS Kushwaha, bank official Vijendra Kaushal, and buyer Paramjeet Bedi. The court exonerated late Joint Registrar BS Vaskel, who passed away during the trial.
The case dates back to 2001 when the accused colluded to sell farmer Saira Bano’s land in Fatehpur Dogra village at a fraction of its market value.
Bano had taken a Rs 18,000 loan in 1985-86 for a well and pump, with only Rs 9,000 unpaid by 2000. However, instead of following proper auction procedures, the officials forged documents, undervalued the land, and sold it illegally to Bedi. They also fraudulently secured approval from the Joint Registrar’s office to execute the sale.
The Lokayukta police launched an investigation after uncovering major irregularities in the land auction. Special Public Prosecutor Hemlata Kushwaha emphasized that the accused abused their authority, depriving Bano of her rightful property. The verdict reinforces accountability in corruption cases involving public servants and serves as a strong warning against fraudulent land deals exploiting farmers.
