In a significant crackdown, Sambalpur police arrested a district sub-registrar and four accomplices involved in a major land fraud. The group allegedly used forged documents and impersonation to unlawfully acquire land once owned by a deceased individual.
The arrested individuals are Surya Narayan Samal, a district sub-registrar, along with land broker Chandra Prasad Dunguria. The remaining three accused—Sujit Kumar Patra, Venkat Balaji Patro, and lawyer Ranjan Pattnaik—were apprehended following further investigation. The police also seized a forged sale deed from September 2022, along with a reissued sale deed from January 2025.
According to police officials, the group targeted a 0.210-acre plot in Unit 14 of Sambalpur’s Danipali area. The land, initially registered under the name of Binod Kumar Gupta, a government employee from Bihar who passed away in February 2001, had remained unclaimed and abandoned for years. This situation made the property an easy target for brokers and conspirators.
The group, including brokers like Ajit Jena and Raghunath Bag, took advantage of the deceased’s abandoned property. They forged documents to falsely claim ownership of the land. Venkat and Sujit, from Bhubaneswar, played significant roles in this forgery, with Govind Meher impersonating Binod to execute fraudulent transactions.
Samal, acting as the sub-registrar, approved a forged sale deed on September 21, 2022, transferring the land to Venkat and Sujit for a hefty sum of Rs 1.55 crore, although the land’s true value was only Rs 48 lakh. Govind, who participated in the scheme, reportedly received Rs 3 lakh for his involvement.
The scam was exposed when Binod’s family noticed the illegal transaction. Binod’s brother, Murari Gupta, lodged a complaint with local authorities, leading to the registration of a case in June 2024. Further investigation revealed that Venkat and Sujit, fearing legal repercussions, quickly resold the land to Shyam Trading Corporation for Rs 1.76 crore.
Lawyer Ranjan Pattnaik allegedly pressured Binod’s legal heirs into accepting the sale. This led to the creation of a second fraudulent sale deed in January 2025.
In an attempt to avoid responsibility, Samal reported to the police, claiming he was coerced into approving the fraudulent transaction. His report led to the registration of another case, resulting in the arrest of all five individuals.
However, several conspirators, including Govind, are still on the run. The police are actively conducting operations to track down the remaining suspects.
