The 92-year-old retired army officer, who fought in the 1962 Indo-China war and the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971, is now fighting what his family calls the “fourth fight” of his life – this time to reclaim his land, which was allegedly sold using forged and counterfeit documents.
Captain Chuni Lal (retd), a resident of Himachal Pradesh and one of the initiators of the Bong Dam project, alleged that the agricultural lands allotted to him under the rehabilitation plan in Mohangarh area of Jaisalmer were fraudulently mortgaged and were later sold for a sum of money. $25 lakh without his knowledge.
According to the complaint, members of the land mafia prepared false documents and brought out an impersonator to execute the sales contract.
Despite being in possession of the original allotment documents, Captain Lal (retd) and his family spent weeks contacting police stations and government offices seeking justice.
Speaking to the media, the visibly emotional veteran said his family had handed over their ancestral fertile agricultural lands in Himachal Pradesh for the Pong Dam project. In return, the government allocated agricultural land in Rajasthan under the Indira Gandhi Canal Rehabilitation Plan.
Recalling the initial years of rehabilitation, Capt Lal (retd) said the land was covered in sand dunes and his family converted the barren desert into arable farmland through years of hard work.
His son, Multan Singh Thakur, alleged that the fraudulent sale deed was registered on June 16 and the mutation was executed on June 22. After learning about the deal, the family first approached Mohangarh police station but was redirected to PTM police station due to jurisdictional reasons and later to Kotwali police station where the registration was carried out.
Thakur alleged that though his father was 92 years old, a 75-year-old man was produced before the sub-registrar by the accused, impersonating the captain to execute the sale deed. When the family raised the issue with revenue officials, they were told that cancellation of the boom could only be pursued through court.
Frequent visits to government offices reportedly affected the veteran’s health. According to the family, the heart patient became exhausted during the official procedures, and even fell asleep while his fingerprints were being taken.
Captain Chuni Lal (retd) said he had no knowledge of the alleged deal. Once informed about this, he traveled from Himachal Pradesh to Mohangarh and contacted the tehsil department as well as the police to seek justice.
He claimed that the incident was not an isolated case but part of an organized land fraud network operating in the area. According to him, outsiders – especially displaced persons from Kangra and ex-servicemen – are being deliberately targeted through forged documents and fraudulent land transactions.
Questioning the registration process, he said that if the authorities had properly verified the documents and the identity of the parties involved, the alleged fraudulent registration would never have happened.
Lalaram Chaudhary, a retired sergeant in charge of the soldiers’ rest house in Jaisalmer, echoed these concerns. Chaudhary, who was helping the family, alleged that land brokers specifically target displaced people from Kangra and former soldiers as many of them live far from the area and are not familiar with the local administrative system. Taking advantage of their absence, the brokers are allegedly preparing false documents, carrying out fraudulent land transactions and illegally seizing their lands.
“It is unfortunate that a soldier who participated in the 1962 and 1971 wars spent days traveling in hired taxis, borrowing money, just seeking justice,” Chaudhary said, urging the governments of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh to intervene.
After the family contacted the Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police, an FIR was finally registered at Kotwali police station against the accused.
Confirming the development, Additional Superintendent of Police Rawatdan said a case had been registered based on a complaint from a retired army officer alleging that another person impersonated him and carried out the land registration process fraudulently.
“An ex-army man came to us and informed us that his marba (land deed) had been fraudulently registered in someone else’s name through impersonation. A case has been registered at Kotwali police station. After a thorough investigation, appropriate legal action will be taken,” Rawatdan said.
The police said that an investigation is underway, relevant records have been sought from the Revenue Department, and strict legal action will be taken against those found responsible. The officials added that every effort will be made to ensure justice according to the results of the investigation.
Jaisalmer ADM Parsaram Saini declined to comment on the case, saying he was not aware of the matter and that it fell under the jurisdiction of the Colonial Administration.
