Farmer Reports Cousin for 5 Crore Land Fraud

Gujarat University Police File Case

Ahmedabad: On Tuesday, the Gujarat University police registered a case against a Thaltej resident, accused of forging a power of attorney document related to a 5 crore valued land parcel. The complainant is a 56-year-old farmer from Pethapur.

Land Acquisition and Stamp Duty Payment

• In 2020, the farmer bought the land from his cousin.
• In 2023, he paid the necessary stamp duty and released the document.

Cousin’s Suspected Fraud

• That same year, the cousin transferred the land using a certified copy of a 2013 general power of attorney.
• In 2024, the cousin filed a complaint against the farmer at the Gujarat University police station under Sections 465, 467, and 120B, presenting the 2013 general power of attorney, which allegedly had a forged signature and a fake address.

Forensic Examination and Complaint

• Subsequently, the farmer filed an application with the Ahmedabad collector, triggering an investigation which discovered that the cousin had forged the power of attorney in the complainant’s name.
• A Forensic Science Laboratory team confirmed that the signature and thumb impression on the notary were not those of the complainant.
• On Tuesday, the farmer filed a complaint, resulting in the Gujarat University police registering a case under IPC sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable securities, wills), and 471 (using as genuine a forged document).