Two Revenue Officials and Ghost Company Implicated in Surat Property Scam
The case was registered by the state CID Crime based on the complaint of Azad Ramolia, a real estate businessman from Bharuch, who alleged that his land was illegally divided and resold.
Property ScamSuratReal EstateRevenue DepartmentGhost CompanyReal EstateJan 05, 2025
The case revolves around the alleged illegal creation of property cards for a private land located in a silent zone near Surat International Airport and the subsequent resale of the land.
The complaint was lodged by Azad Ramolia, a real estate businessman from Ankleshwar and Hansot in Bharuch.
Ramolia, who owns land worth Rs 2,000 crore across Dumas and Gavier villages near the airport, purchased the land between October 28, 2016, and July 15, 2017, from Rasik Lallubhai, a farmer and resident of Magdalla.
The land was officially registered in 2017.
However, the scam came to light in March 2022 when a land broker named Jignesh approached Ramolia with a property card bearing the survey number of his Dumas plot, offering to sell it back to him.
Ramolia discovered that someone had illegally created property cards for his land in Dumas and Gavier, dividing it into housing plots and adding the names of around 135 people as owners.
The land was being marketed for sale.
The FIR, registered under various IPC sections for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy, names former Surat survey superintendent K P Gamit, district land record inspector Anant Dahya Patel, a data entry operator, and the ghost company Samruddhi Corporations among the accused.
According to the FIR, the accused builders and aides of Samruddhi Corporation, with the help of the revenue department officials, obtained property cards for Ramolia’s land, divided it into plots, and sold it to different individuals.
The sale proceeds were deposited into the bank account of Samruddhi Corporation, despite no construction permissions or approved plans with the Surat Municipal Corporation.
Ramolia, suspecting the involvement of revenue department officials, submitted an application to the Surat Collector and Mamlatdar in August 2022.
When no action was taken, he approached the Economic Cell of the Surat Police Commissioner’s Office in March 2023.
However, the inaction continued, prompting him to finally approach the Additional Director General of Police of CID Crime and Railways at Gandhinagar, who registered the case on Thursday.
Investigating officer and Surat CID crime police inspector, P B Sanghani, stated, “The major offence registered is related to the illegal property cards and the resale of the plots to private parties.
We are currently collecting evidence and identifying the roles of the accused.
We will also investigate who is running Samruddhi Corporations.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the summary of the Surat property scam case?
Two revenue officials and a ghost company, Samruddhi Corporations, are accused of creating illegal property cards for a private land near Surat International Airport and reselling the land. The land was originally owned by Azad Ramolia, a real estate businessman.
Who is Azad Ramolia and what is his involvement in the case?
Azad Ramolia is a real estate businessman from Ankleshwar and Hansot in Bharuch. He owns land worth Rs 2,000 crore near Surat International Airport. He filed the complaint after discovering that his land was illegally divided and resold.
What were the roles of the revenue department officials in the scam?
The revenue department officials, including former Surat survey superintendent K P Gamit and district land record inspector Anant Dahya Patel, are alleged to have helped the ghost company, Samruddhi Corporations, in obtaining illegal property cards for Ramolia’s land.
What actions did Azad Ramolia take to report the scam?
Ramolia submitted an application to the Surat Collector and Mamlatdar in August 2022 and then approached the Economic Cell of the Surat Police Commissioner’s Office in March 2023. When no action was taken, he finally approached the Additional Director General of Police of CID Crime and Railways at Gandhinagar.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The investigation is ongoing. The Surat CID crime police inspector, P B Sanghani, is collecting evidence and identifying the roles of the accused. They will also investigate the management of the ghost company, Samruddhi Corporations.
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