Congress Seeks Criminal Case Over Land Bought for Minister's Wife in Chhattisgarh

The Congress party has called for legal action following a court's decision to invalidate the sale deed of land purchased in the name of Sarita Agrawal, wife of Brijmohan Agrawal, a state minister and BJP candidate from Raipur Lok Sabha seat. The controversy centers around a piece of land in Mahasamund district, which was allegedly acquired under questionable circumstances and later developed into a resort.

Deepak Baij, the state Congress president, highlighted the recent judgment by the Additional District and Sessions Judge I of Mahasamund, which was issued on April 23. The court's findings revealed that the land, situated in Jalki village near the historical site of Sirpur, was originally donated to the Water Resources Department in 1994 by six villagers for the construction of a reservoir. Despite the donation, the land's possession was never officially transferred in revenue records, remaining under the donors' names.

In 2009, Sarita Agrawal acquired this land from its original owners, including Vishnu Sahu. However, according to Baij, Brijmohan Agrawal was aware that the land was meant for public use by the Water Resources Department. The court has now declared the registration of this purchase void from its inception and ordered the return of the land to the Water Resources division of Mahasamund.

The Congress's demand for registering a case of forgery against both the buyer and seller comes after revelations about this transaction emerged in 2017, prompting calls for an in-depth investigation. Brijmohan Agrawal has previously denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated. He insisted that the purchase was made following all legal procedures and based on revenue records. This property was also declared in his election affidavit during the 2013 assembly elections.

This legal setback for Agrawal raises questions about land acquisition processes and highlights concerns over potential conflicts of interest involving public officials. The opposition's push for criminal charges underscores the ongoing scrutiny of land deals and their implications for governance and public trust.