A fresh First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against plywood businessman Mohammad Talib, former legislator Mohammad Ghazi, and 11 other individuals in connection with a land grab and assault case in the Sherkot area of Bijnor district. Talib is currently incarcerated in connection with an alleged attack on former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Bharatendra Singh.
The complaint was lodged by Shahid Ali, a member of the Sherkot Cooperative Housing Society. Ali alleged that the society had purchased 25 bighas of land in 1989 for Rs 3.4 lakh, but only 12.5 bighas were registered in its name. The remaining land was purportedly transferred to fictitious members using forged documents.
Police investigations suggest that Talib masterminded the scheme, collaborating with relatives and associates to fabricate documents and secure the land through internal sale deeds. The land in Mouja Rambadi, now a developed residential area, is estimated to be worth crores of rupees. The complainant also alleged misappropriation of sale proceeds from the land.
Ali stated that he had filed a complaint in 2008, when Ghazi was an MLA, but no action was taken at that time. He further alleged that on April 17, the accused stopped him near the site, subjected him to verbal abuse and physical assault, and were only stopped when local residents intervened. Superintendent of Police Abhishek Jha confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Talib and his brothers were arrested on April 1 for allegedly attacking former MP Bharatendra Singh during an inspection on Chandpur Road. They are currently lodged in Bijnor jail. Officials noted that the dispute is also linked to a previous forest department action in which a unit and stone crushers were sealed, leading to a clash during an attempt to de-seal the property.
