SUMAN K SHRIVASTAVA
Ranchi, June 13: If fake documents were used by Pradeep Bagchi to sell 4.55 acres of land under Indian Army’s occupation in Ranchi to Jagatbandhu Tea Estate Private Limited, yet another concocted papers and the Jharkhand high court orders were used by Jayant Karnad to project himself a rightful owner.
The Enforcement Directorate, which has attached 4.55 acres of land in Bariatu as proceeds of crime, in the multi-crore land scam in Ranchi, has said, in its property attachment order issued on June 10, that Jayant Karnad played frauds to present himself as the real owner of the land before Pradeep Bagchi came into picture.
During interrogation, Karnad stated that he had no documents/deeds/khatiyan in respect of the ownership/claim over the property. Further, he did not have any holding number/maalguzari/lagaan receipt, paid in respect of the property which he claimed from the Defence and further sold to 14 purchasers.
To a specific question regarding the legal heir certificate or any such document which could prove the lineage or his claim/proof for succession in support of his rightful claim over the property or successor of Late B.M. Mukund Rao, Karnad could not furnish any rent agreement or MoU executed in between army and his ancestors (B. M. Mukund Rao) regarding the rent of property bearing no. 557 at Mauja- Morabadi admeasuring 4.55 acres.
He stated that his mother Late Malti Karnad was the only daughter of his maternal grandfather Late B.M Mukund Rao. However, he could not provide any document in support of his claim that late Malti Karnad was only daughter of Late B.M Mukund Rao. His statement reveals that the first time he received the rent from army was in the year 2008 amounting to Rs. 417/- in his HUF Account held in Bank of India. After this, he also received Rs. 50,640/- as an arrear of due rent from 1998 to 2008. He has been receiving rent from Defence Estate Office, till 28th December, 2021 in HUF account held in Bank of India.
How Jayant concealed specific facts before High Court for initially getting the order for rent.
The ED investigation has revealed that the documents and claims of/for Jayant Karnad furnished by lawyer Himanshu Kumar Mehta to the Jharkhand High Court were incorrect and he deliberately concealed specific facts before the High Court for initially getting the order for rent, as the army was itself looking for the rightful claimant for paying rent. He concealed the fact before the High Court that the petitioner i.e., Jayant Karnad did not have the succession certificate which was required by the Defence.
In fact, he took shelter of the letter of the Defence which they received after filing writ petition 1903 of 2007 wherein the Defence had only shown intention for paying rent which was only after furnishing the valid succession certificate. Once the Court directed the Defence to pay rent, I.As were filed and selected arguments and misleading facts were submitted before the Court to obtain favourable orders. Once the Court finally directed the Defence to pay the accrued rental and 3ayant Karnad received the sum, it enabled them to project that they were the rightful claimants of the property and the property measuring 4.55 acres at Morabadi Mauja has passed on to them in a legitimate manner.
Their claim got backing from the accrued rentals received from 1998 to 2008 after the demise of B.M. Mukund Rao. After some time, Jayant Karnad and his lawyer Himanshu Kumar Mehta went ahead to get orders from the High Court regarding the vacation of the land from the Defence. This petition and order were based on the monthly rentals received by Jayant Karnad from Defence vide order of the High Court of Jharkhand which was procured on the basis of concocted and misleading facts submitted by the petitioners before the High Court of Jharkhand.
The land was sold to 14 different persons for a sum of Rs. 2.55 crores which was received in his Bank of India account.
“Thus, it is seen that the above two persons, Jayant Karnad and Himanshu Kumar Mehta in connivance with each other obtained favourable orders from the High Court of Jharkhand by manufacturing papers or evidences which could prove Jayant Karnad’s succession for the property or which could prove blood relation of his mother Malti Karnad and Late B.M. Mukund Rao,” the ED has said.
The ED investigation also reveals that the name of B.M Mukund Rao s/o B.M. Lakshman Rao is entered as raiyat of the M.S Plot no. 557, Mauja-Morabadi on page no. 249 of register II of M.S Plot no. 557 of Mauja-Morabadi. The mutation case number of the above property in name of B.M. Mukund Rao is 1298R27/60-61 which is shown as filed and accepted. The concerned register/record was available with Circle Office Baragai at Ranchi.
How Karnad and Mehta met?
Jayant Karnad stated that in the year 2006, the Defence Estate Officer, Bihar and Orissa Circle published a notice looking for interested persons/legal heirs of Late B.M. Mukund Rao. As per the publication, any person claiming himself to be an interested person or legal heir of the property of Late B.M. Mukund Rao was required to produce a legal succession certificate or any documentary evidence showing his interest or right over the said property and to claim the proprietary right and to receive the monthly rent being paid by the government each month.
“One advocate namely Himanshu Kumar Mehta of Ranchi approached him and told him that he could get the land released from the Defence as well as arrange for the sale of the plot after its release. Jayant Karnad did not have any papers or proof regarding his claim including succession certificate to show his legitimacy to the said property. Mehta arranged all papers including the copy of the probate dated 13.02.1967 for Jayant Karnad, which was required to establish rightful ownership of the property. On the basis of these documents, these persons filed W.P (C) No. 1903 of 2007 before the High Court of Jharkhand,” the ED has concluded.
