The members of the special police establishment Lokayukta in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh seem to have paranormal powers.
A Lokayukta official who was investigating a land scam not only 'recorded' the statement of a farmer nine years after his death, but also submitted it before a special court in Bhopal— along with the death certificate that exposed the error.
The counsel for the accused picked on the dead man-talking blunder to cast doubts on the investigation on Friday, reports the Times of India.
The case revolves around 800 acre agricultural land, owned by 141 farmers, which was allegedly auctioned without the farmers’ consent after they defaulted in repaying loans from the Zilla Shahkari Krishi Aur Grameen Vikas Bank, Bhopal, and Bhoomi Vikas Bank, Huzoor.
It is alleged that the farmland — worth 1,600 billion according to the collector's guidelines—was auctioned for a mere 1.5 million.
On receiving a complaint, Lokayukta police registered an FIR on July 4, 2013, against several officials and people who purchased the land.
The back-from-the dead statement was among the evidence attached with the FIR and produced in court along with the chargesheet. So was the death certificate.
According to Lokayukta, the statement of 'Radheylal, son of Shriram, resident of Sagoni Kalan village under Huzur tehsil of Bhopal' was recorded on April 20, 2013, and produced in court. Radheylal apparently said that he had taken a loan of Rs 8,000 from the bank but couldn't repay it. "Later, my 7.10 acre land was sold at a throwaway price by officials without even informing me," says the statement.
Tucked away in the sheaf of documents was another piece of paper — a death certificate, issued by Sagoni village panchayat (village council), saying Radheylal died on August 16, 2004. The statement of Sagoni's sarpanch (Head of panchayat), which was also recorded by the Lokayuta, was submitted in the court by the investigation agency on December 13, 2015. It said that Radheylal died on August 16, 2004.
