Nagpur: In a major land scam unearthed in Nagpur, Kamlesh Dilip Chaudhari, already facing multiple charges for illegal encroachments near Futala Lake, has now been booked for allegedly forging official land records to grab a massive government land parcel measuring over 43.87 lakh sq. ft in Mouza Telangkhedi.
Based on a formal complaint by City Survey Office-3, Sadar Police registered an FIR on June 20, 2025, against Chaudhari and unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for forgery and attempted land grabbing.
Gold Rate
09 july 2025
How the scam unfolded
According to the FIR, Chaudhari submitted a forged document to City Survey Office-3 on January 21, 2025, claiming that his father, Dilip Dayaram Chaudhari, was the leaseholder (pattedar) of City Survey Number 65, which actually belongs to the State Government/Agriculture Department.
Kamlesh requested the City Survey Office to update its online records based on the forged “Akhiv Patrika.” However, after verification, the office found the document to be fake and rejected his request. Initially, no police complaint was filed. The case gained momentum only after Jwala Dhote, President of Anyay Nivaran Manch, submitted a written complaint on May 29, demanding criminal action.
Subsequently, City Survey Office-3 filed a police complaint on June 17, leading to the formal registration of the FIR. Nagpur West MLA Vikas Thakre also intervened, writing to Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to instruct land officials to act promptly.
Who owns the land?
According to official records—both online and offline—the land in question, Survey No. 65, Mouza Telangkhedi, measuring approximately 40,77,39.1 sq.mt (around 43.87 lakh sq. ft), is government-owned. The land is officially recorded in the name of:
• MAFSU (Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University)
• Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV)
• ICMR/National Institute for One Health
This has been corroborated through various government gazettes and orders, including:
• Maharashtra Gazette dated 31 August 1995, with name change recorded on 21 March 1998
• Government Order dated 16 April 2005 from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Fisheries
• Orders issued on 22 May 2024, and confirmed by District Collector, Nagpur on 31 July 2019 and by the Urban Development Department on 23 July 2019
A pattern of abuse: 4 FIRs so far
This is not the first time Kamlesh Chaudhari has come under the scanner. He is already facing three FIRs for illegal construction and encroachments within the Futala Lake and its eco-sensitive catchment area. This latest FIR brings the total to four, with the most recent involving forgery of government documents.
MCOCA demanded
In a strongly worded statement, Jwala Dhote demanded that MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) be invoked against Kamlesh. She alleged that Chaudhari had not only forged government records but also used the fake documents in proceedings before the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Urban Development Department, and in Civil, District, and High Courts, thereby misleading government officials and judiciary alike.
“This is not just land grabbing — it’s systematic, organised fraud involving forged documents and manipulation of state records. Kamlesh must be arrested immediately and booked under MCOCA before he destroys more evidence,” Dhote said in her press note.
She further warned that there could be more such instances where government lands might have been targeted using similar tactics, urging authorities to thoroughly investigate Chaudhari’s past land dealings.
Investigation underway
The Sadar Police, after registering the case, have launched an inquiry under multiple BNS sections related to criminal conspiracy, document forgery, and fraudulent attempts to claim government land. Further action, including arrest, may follow pending investigation findings.
