Rautahat, January 16

With investigation into the case of the registration of 106 bigaha national forest land as private property in Rautahat under way, it has recently been discovered that over one-fourth of the total land of  Bijayapur settlement at Laxminiya VDC, Rautahat was registered in the name of a single individual, who is alleged to be involved with the local land mafia.

Nabar Kishor Ray Yadav of Fatuwa VDC reportedly has one bigaha 13 dhurs land out of four bigaha land in Bijayapur settlement registered in his name through forged documents. There are as many as 87 families living on two bigaha, nine kattha, and eight dhur land in the settlement. The remaining land comprises the river banks.

Locals who have been living in the settlement for the past 37 years said a few individuals have been demanding rent from them, threatening to demolish their houses.

After a flood swept away a portion of land of Fatuwa Harsha VDC in 1979, then DAO and District Panchayat relocated the flood victims to Bijayapur. The land had been seized by the government from Jayankrishna Maitra.

Maitra was an Indian national from Calcutta who had been awarded large plots of land by the then Rana rulers for his service as an English teacher to them. The government had later seized lands exceeding the limit of 28 bigaha from Maitra in 1968.

The land  mafia in Rautahat had then forged documents and presented them to Kathmandu District Court, passed the above mentioned area of land in the  name of Yadav, alleged Sogarath Kuswaha, a local.

The locals of Bijayapur have registered a case at the DAO, the Land Revenue Office, District Police Office, and the Land Reform Office regarding the matter.

Following the registration of the case, the DAO has halted transaction of land registered in Yadav's name. The DAO has directed the Land Revenue Office to investigate the case and submit a report immediately.

Meanwhile, acting Chief of Land Revenue Office Rautahat Chandra Bahadur Bhandari said that the land was registered in Yadav's name on the basis of documents sent by Kathmandu District Court two months ago.

Bhandari said that an investigation has started following the directive from the DAO.