1962, 1965, 1971: Army veteran who fought 3 wars now in '4th battle' to save his land

JAISALMER: A 92-year-old retired Indian Army Captain, who fought in the 1962 war with China and the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, is now fighting what he calls his "fourth battle"—not on the battlefield, but for justice after allegedly losing his 25-bigha agricultural land to a fraudulent land scam in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district.Retired Captain Chunni Lal Thakur, a resident of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh, alleged that his land in the Indira Gandhi Canal command area near Mohangarh was fraudulently registered and transferred to another person through forged documents without his knowledge.According to the complaint, the land was allegedly registered in someone else's name on June 16, and the mutation was completed on June 26, despite the real owner never being present during the process.Captain Chunni Lal, a Pong Dam oustee, said his ancestral land in Kangra had been acquired for the construction of the Pong Dam, following which the government allotted him irrigated agricultural land in Jaisalmer under the rehabilitation scheme.For years, he cultivated the land through local farmers and regularly received his share of the produce.The alleged fraud came to light when his cultivator informed him that the land had already been sold.Shocked by the revelation, the retired officer travelled from Himachal Pradesh to Jaisalmer and approached the Mohangarh revenue office and local police stations seeking action.However, he alleged that no FIR was initially registered despite repeated complaints.Three days ago, Captain Chunni Lal met Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare, who directed the City Kotwali Police Station to register a case.On Saturday, police registered an FIR under various sections related to fraud and began an investigation.The retired officer alleged that unidentified persons prepared forged identity documents, including manipulated Aadhaar-related records, and impersonated him to execute the land sale.He further claimed that such incidents are not isolated and that a network targeting Pong Dam displaced families and retired servicemen from Himachal Pradesh may be operating in the region.His son, Multan Singh Thakur, questioned how the land registration was completed without matching fingerprints, photographs, or verifying the physical presence of the genuine owner.He also alleged that the family was sent from one police station to another before the matter was finally taken up after the intervention of the Superintendent of Police.Airforce retired Sargent Lalaram, in-charge of the Soldiers' Rest House, alleged that land brokers specifically target Pong Dam displaced families from Kangra and retired Army personnel because they live far away and are less familiar with the local administrative system.According to him, such brokers allegedly prepare forged documents to illegally grab their land.The police investigation will determine the facts of the case, but there is hope that this decorated soldier, who fought in three wars in the service of the nation, will finally receive justice in his battle to reclaim his own land.The case has raised serious questions about verification procedures in land registration and the protection of the property rights of ex-servicemen and displaced families.Additional Superintendent of Police Revantdan confirmed that an FIR has been registered at Jaisalmer City Kotwali Police Station under relevant fraud-related provisions and that the matter is under investigation.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.