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The Odisha High Court has nullified several land deals in Baniapat Khuntapada and Keonjhar, citing illegal exclusion of rightful heirs and serious procedural lapses. Justice S. K. Panigrahi ruled the 2011-2014 transactions-conducted by two brothers without their sisters' consent-as a "carefully engineered arrangement" to deny joint inheritors. The Keonjhar collector has been ordered to investigate and take disciplinary action against involved revenue officials. The NHAI must halt compensation payouts and recover any disbursed funds tied to the now-invalid land deals. The court also flagged suspicious transactions involving a BPL cardholder, reinforcing its stance against land fraud and official misconduct.
The Odisha High Court has moved to nullify several land deals involving ancestral property in Baniapat Khuntapada and Keonjhar. The court found these transactions to be illegal, citing the exclusion of rightful heirs and significant procedural problems. Advertisement
Justice S. K. Panigrahi, in an order issued on July 18, declared the sale deeds and subsequent transfers as "vitiated" and legally invalid. He described these transactions as a "carefully engineered arrangement" designed to unlawfully take away the rights of lawful joint inheritors. The land, which was jointly inherited by three brothers and three sisters, was sold between 2011 and 2014 by two of the brothers without obtaining consent from the sisters.
The court has ordered the Keonjhar district collector to conduct a full inquiry into these irregularities. It also directed the collector to begin disciplinary action against the revenue officials involved. The court's order noted that the officials' role showed "not just negligence, but raises a reasonable apprehension of institutional complicity," suggesting potential involvement in the fraudulent dealings.
Furthermore, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been instructed to stop giving out compensation for the acquired land, which was intended for a highway project. NHAI has also been told to recover any funds that have already been paid out for this land.
The case became more complex when the land was notified for acquisition in 2015. It initially had a compensation of INR 6.96 crore, which was later increased to INR 21.08 crore on appeal. This increase prompted the three sisters, who were excluded from the sale, to approach the court.
The court also observed suspicious activity in how the land was routed through a daily wage laborer and a BPL cardholder to a general caste buyer, questioning how a person of limited means could conduct such high-value transactions. This ruling highlights the court's stance against fraudulent land dealings and official misconduct.
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