Gujarat
,
Mulasana
,
Gandhinagar
Published : 12 July, 2014   |   Last updated - 24 Jun, 2024
Farmers fight to reclaim land after Rs 20,000-crore land scam exposed in Gujarat's Mulasana village
Reported by
Suchak Patel
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Updated by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
People Affected
Year started
Land area affected
Households affected
People Affected
Year started
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Land Use
Reason/Cause of conflict
Other Kind of Land Use
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

A major land conflict has erupted in Mulasana village, Gandhinagar, centered around the alleged illegal allocation of ₹20,000 crore worth of land designated for grazing to private builders. The controversy has significantly heightened tensions between local farmers and the government.

Over the past decade, builders and investors from various cities have acquired nearly all the farmers' land and swapped several hectares of reserved lands intended for village projects in Mulasana, situated near Thol and approximately 20 kilometers west of Ahmedabad. In some instances, land that could not be converted from agricultural to non-agricultural use was seized by land mafias.

Farmers in Mulasana are resolute in their fight to reclaim their land. They have threatened to march to Gandhinagar with their cattle if their grievances are not addressed. According to a report by the Gujarat Smaachar, farmers have been barred from accessing their fields despite having proper documentation since 1952. They accuse the police of harassment and landlords of illegally seizing their land, alleging that the government is favouring builders over their rights. The farmers are demanding urgent action to address their concerns and restore their land rights.

The situation deteriorated further following the arrest of former Gandhinagar District Collector S K Langa on 11 July, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the land dealings. Despite Langa's detention, construction on the disputed land has continued, exacerbating the farmers' demands for their land and grazing rights. He has been charged under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 217 (public servant disobeying the law with the intent to save a person from punishment), 218 (public servant creating incorrect records or documents) as well as under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The High Court has observed that Langa misused his authority as a Collector for personal gain, passing orders for the allotment of 30,431 square meters of government-owned land to interested parties. This has been deemed a prima facie criminal offense.

The land dispute in Mulasana is also linked to a long-standing scam dating back to 1918. Land originally allocated for cow grazing on a 99-year leasehold was fraudulently acquired through bogus documents. The land, initially designated as agricultural, was improperly classified as non-agricultural by the then Gandhinagar Collector S K Langa.

In response to the ongoing conflict, Congress Leader Amit Chavda visited Mulasana and nearby villages to assess the situation. Chavda expressed strong support for the farmers and criticised the government's handling of the issue. He warned that if the government fails to address the farmers' demands, a major protest in Gandhinagar could be on the horizon.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Demand to get back acquired land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common and Private

Non-Forest (Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Agricultural land, Grazing

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Author
Reported by
Suchak Patel

Gujarat

Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.

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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Demand to get back acquired land

Farmers fight to reclaim land after Rs 20,000-crore land scam exposed in Gujarat's Mulasana village

Reported by

Suchak Patel

Legal Review by

Sourabh Rai, Anmol Gupta

Edited by

Anupa Sagar Kujur

Updated by

Updated by

Published on

September 22, 2024

October 4, 2024

Edited on

September 22, 2024

Sector

Land Use

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Other Kind of Land Use

Starting Year

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

ha

Households Affected by Conflict

People Affected by Conflict

State

Gujarat

Sector

Land Use

People Affected by Conflict

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

ha

Starting Year

Location of Conflict

Mulasana

Gandhinagar

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Other Kind of Land Use

Land Conflict Summary

A major land conflict has erupted in Mulasana village, Gandhinagar, centered around the alleged illegal allocation of ₹20,000 crore worth of land designated for grazing to private builders. The controversy has significantly heightened tensions between local farmers and the government.

Over the past decade, builders and investors from various cities have acquired nearly all the farmers' land and swapped several hectares of reserved lands intended for village projects in Mulasana, situated near Thol and approximately 20 kilometers west of Ahmedabad. In some instances, land that could not be converted from agricultural to non-agricultural use was seized by land mafias.

Farmers in Mulasana are resolute in their fight to reclaim their land. They have threatened to march to Gandhinagar with their cattle if their grievances are not addressed. According to a report by the Gujarat Smaachar, farmers have been barred from accessing their fields despite having proper documentation since 1952. They accuse the police of harassment and landlords of illegally seizing their land, alleging that the government is favouring builders over their rights. The farmers are demanding urgent action to address their concerns and restore their land rights.

The situation deteriorated further following the arrest of former Gandhinagar District Collector S K Langa on 11 July, 2023, for his alleged involvement in the land dealings. Despite Langa's detention, construction on the disputed land has continued, exacerbating the farmers' demands for their land and grazing rights. He has been charged under IPC sections 409 (criminal breach of trust), 217 (public servant disobeying the law with the intent to save a person from punishment), 218 (public servant creating incorrect records or documents) as well as under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The High Court has observed that Langa misused his authority as a Collector for personal gain, passing orders for the allotment of 30,431 square meters of government-owned land to interested parties. This has been deemed a prima facie criminal offense.

The land dispute in Mulasana is also linked to a long-standing scam dating back to 1918. Land originally allocated for cow grazing on a 99-year leasehold was fraudulently acquired through bogus documents. The land, initially designated as agricultural, was improperly classified as non-agricultural by the then Gandhinagar Collector S K Langa.

In response to the ongoing conflict, Congress Leader Amit Chavda visited Mulasana and nearby villages to assess the situation. Chavda expressed strong support for the farmers and criticised the government's handling of the issue. He warned that if the government fails to address the farmers' demands, a major protest in Gandhinagar could be on the horizon.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Demand to get back acquired land

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common and Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Agricultural land, Grazing

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Legislations/Policies Involved

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Section 13 [Public servant commits criminal misconduct if they misuse public property or gain illegal wealth in office.]
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 217 [A public servant deliberately ignores the law to protect someone from punishment or prevent the loss of property] Section 218 [A public servant creates false records or writings to protect someone from punishment or to prevent property from being taken away] Section 219 [Public servant knowingly making corrupt reports in judicial proceedings contrary to law] Section 409 [Criminal breach of trust by public servant]
Gujarat Agricultural Land Ceiling Act, 1960
Section 3(dd) [Land exempted under this act includes land owned by a Panjrapole or Gaushala used for cattle grazing or storing grass for cattle]
Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020
Section 2(e) [Land grabbing would include occupying land belonging to others, without having title to the land you have occupied] Section 3 [Land grabbing in any form is prohibited, unlawful and punishable]
Gujarat Tenancy and Agricultural Land Act, 1948
Section 63 [No land can be transferred to a person who is not an agriculturist]
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Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-implementation of land reform laws

Lack of legal protection over land rights

Controversial land acquisition by the government

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Gujarat High Court

Case Number

R/CR.MA/21424/2023

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

It was alleged that the Deputy Collector decided several non-agricultural permission cases, including some after his retirement. During these proceedings, serious misconduct and irregularities were uncovered, indicating misuse of his power and authority and prayed to release him on anticipatory bail in case of his arrest in connection. The Court did not accepted the arguments of the learned advocate of the petitioner and rejected the Petition.

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

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