CP shuts down land mafia SIT after ‘satisfactory’ probe

Nagpur: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate land grabbing cases was declared 'closed' by DCP (crime) Sambhaji Kadam on the orders of police commissioner K Venkatesham at a press meet at the CP office on Tuesday. However, one of the complainants told TOI that justice has been 'half done', and the SIT has work left to do.

The need for the SIT had been felt after NMC contractor Bhupesh Sontakke committed suicide at Mankapur in October 2016. He had mentioned land mafia Dilip Gwalbanshi's name in his suicide note. Later, a case had been registered against Gwalbanshi and his family. When several similar complaints came in at other police stations too, the CP has formed the SIT on April 27, 2017.

A total of 50 offences have been registered by the SIT, out of which 17 offences are against the Gwalbanshi family, said Kadam. Some 46 accused have been arrested so far. The SIT has also invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against Gwalbanshi and Jarman Japan gang. But Dilip Gwalbanshi's nephew Prem, who was also booked under MCOCA, is still absconding.

Recently, Dilip's wife Shubhangi too was arrested in a land grabbing case. However, Dilip's brother, Jagdish Gwalbanshi, who also has an offence against him at Gittikhadan police station, is yet to be arrested due to lack of evidence.

Kadam announced on Tuesday that the SIT would no longer register new complaints. However, respective zonal DCPs would continue to supervise the pending cases. In some cases, charge sheets have been submitted in court. SIT has also sent letters to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to get documents of land deals in some cases.

The DCP said, "SIT has achieved its target. Complainants are satisfied with the investigations. Many land grabbers have returned the land to owners on their own after seeing the SIT's investigations."

However, not all problems have been solved for the complainants. One of them told TOI, "Our land located at Hazaripahad was grabbed by Nitish Gwalbanshi, a corporator. We got the land back. But when we wanted to sell it off, some locals, who stay in Ganga Basti, named after Dilip Gwalbanshi's father, are threatening our customers. The locals are saying that Bhaiyya (Nitish Gwalbanshi) would grab the land back. It is now known as disputed land."

One complainant said he was even given Rs50,000 as token for a land deal, but after hearing the threats, the purchaser cancelled the deal and took back the amount.