Man alleges cheating, illegal transfer of land by kin

Rajkot: A 55-year-old man has filed a complaint at the Aji Dam police station in Rajkot alleging that his brother-in-law and four others cheated him and illegally usurped his land by misusing a loan arrangement.According to the complaint, the complainant, Ramesh Bhuva, alleged that his brother-in-law, Suresh Talpara (45), along with Alpesh Donga, Dharmendra Thesiya (50), Parsotam Lunagariya (50) and others, conspired to deprive him of his land. Bhuva stated that Talpara approached him in April 2023 seeking financial help, claiming to have suffered heavy business losses. As Bhuva did not have the required funds, it was decided to raise Rs 15 lakh by mortgaging a parcel of land owned by him in Kharchiya village, with an assurance that the loan would be repaid within six months.However, Bhuva alleged that instead of arranging a loan, the accused conspired to get a sale deed of the land registered in the name of Dharmendra Thesiya, with Alpesh Donga and Parsotam Lunagariya facilitating the transaction. He claimed that he was unaware of the nature of the document he was made to sign.The alleged fraud came to light when Bhuva later discovered that ownership of his land had been transferred. When he confronted the accused and demanded the return of his property, they allegedly demanded Rs 1 crore, including interest on the borrowed amount, and threatened that he would permanently lose the land if he failed to pay.Police have booked the accused under Sections 420 (cheating) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC, along with provisions of the Gujarat Moneylenders' Act.