In a significant ruling, the Odisha land Record and Settlement Commissioner’s court here on Monday directed the Jajpur district Collector to restore an area of 70 acres of Government land that was illegally occupied by former State Chief Secretary Rabinarayan Das.
The Commissioner court of AK Tarenia disposing of at least five revision petitions filed by the Danagadi Tehsildar, directed the Collector to take possession of the valuable Government land at Salijanga village as ‘unoccupied forest’ land.
The contentious land was fraudulently recorded in the names of Bidubhusan Das, Chandi Charan Das and Rabinarayan Das, who are sons of late Durga Charan Das, by the Settlement personnel during Hal Settlement operation in 1983 on the basis of handwritten Record of Rights (RoR).
The petitions alleged that the retired IAS officer and his brothers sold the suit property at different points of time to different persons through registered sale deeds.
After hearing all stakeholders, the Commissioner court was satisfied that the suit property was fraudulently recorded in the names of the Das brothers and ordered the Collector to restore it immediately.