Ahmedabad: Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda has levelled serious allegations against certain senior police officials over an alleged conspiracy to take over land worth more than ₹100 crore belonging to a financially weaker Thakor family in Khoraj, Gandhinagar district. He demanded an impartial investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the matter.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, Chavda claimed that police officials, including an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank, along with personnel associated with the Adalaj Police Station and Local Crime Branch (LCB), were allegedly involved in attempts to pressure the family into surrendering its ancestral land.
According to Chavda, the family allegedly faced intimidation and harassment after refusing to part with its land at a lower price. He claimed that the pressure became so severe that family members were forced to leave their homes and stay elsewhere for several months.
Chavda further alleged that police personnel pressured family members to sign land-related documents and that a woman from the family was forcibly taken from her residence and made to sign an FIR under pressure. The FIR reportedly also named former Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor, who had extended support to the family.
The Congress leader stated that the family had approached Jagdish Thakor seeking protection and assistance. Despite representations to senior police officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP), the family allegedly did not receive adequate relief.
Chavda said that the matter was subsequently challenged in court and the FIR was quashed. He referred to the court’s observations regarding the alleged misuse of the police machinery for personal interests and said the development raised serious questions about the conduct of the officials concerned.
He also questioned the state government’s response, stating that repeated requests for a meeting with the Chief Minister to present the farmers’ grievances had not received a response.
Congress Demands SIT Investigation
Demanding immediate action, Chavda called for the constitution of an SIT to investigate the entire matter. The Congress has sought:
- An impartial investigation into the alleged role of the IG-rank officer, LCB personnel and Adalaj Police Station officials.
- Examination of call detail records of the officials concerned.
- Investigation into the alleged conspiracy to take over the family’s land.
- Verification of the assets and sources of income of the officials facing allegations.
- Appropriate legal action against anyone found guilty.
Chavda also questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah, pointing out that Gandhinagar is his parliamentary constituency, and sought his intervention to ensure justice for the affected family.
Jagdish Thakor Raises Farmers’ Concerns
Former Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor also raised concerns over the land dispute involving three economically weaker farming families in Khoraj. He alleged irregularities involving land records and a disputed will, which had reportedly left the families facing difficulties.
Thakor claimed that farmers had been intimidated and that some were allegedly brought back to Gandhinagar by police after being traced to Dwarka and Somnath. He also questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged movement of unidentified vehicles near senior advocate Anand Yagnik’s office.
The Congress demanded that the state government appoint an impartial authority to hear all parties and ensure justice for the affected farmers.
Senior advocate Anand Yagnik and his legal team have also offered free legal assistance to farmers and victims involved in land-grabbing disputes across Gujarat, according to the Congress leaders.
Chavda said the Congress would continue its legal and democratic struggle against alleged land grabbing, intimidation and misuse of official authority, and urged affected citizens to approach the party for assistance.
The allegations were made by Congress leaders during the press conference. The claims against the police officials have not been independently established in the material provided.
