Activist Hemant More alleges irregularities in Satara temple trust inam land deal, seeks probe
Social activist Hemant More has alleged a multi-crore irregularity in dealings over Devasthan Inam land in Karanje Tarf, Satara, and sought a probe and action against those involved.
Serious questions have been raised over the ownership and mutation entries of 111.6 gunthas of Devasthan Inam Class-3 land in Gat No. 155 in the Karanje Tarf area of Satara. Social activist Hemant More alleged at a press conference that the deal involving this land involved irregularities worth crores of rupees.
More has demanded that the District Collector and the Revenue Department conduct a thorough inquiry into the entire matter, cancel the wrong entries and record the government's name on the land.
According to More, the land in Gat No. 155 was granted to the Gopalnath Maharaj Devasthan by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj through a sanad in January 1874. He said a civil suit over ownership of the land was filed in 1994, in which the court held the land to be Devasthan Inam land. More claims the judgment also clearly states that the ownership of Somgiri or Bapugiri Gosavi over the land was not proved.
Citing the mutations in the revenue records and the subsequent appeal process, More alleged that some entries were made against court and revenue orders. He claims that an order of the Additional Collector in 2004 also states that the persons concerned have no ownership of the land.
More alleged that wrong information was subsequently given to get the land changed from Devasthan Inam Class-3 to Class-1. He also alleged that deals to buy and sell the land were later struck with political figures from Jaoli and Koregaon talukas. He also demanded an inquiry into the role of some officers and employees of the revenue machinery in the entire process.
More said the land is feared to be transferred further, so the Collector should take Gat No. 155 into custody, cancel all suspect mutations, record the government's name and take criminal action against those concerned.
He said papers running to 58 pages, including court orders, Revenue Department orders, the 7/12 extract and copies of the various mutations, have been submitted to the Collector.
