A 73-year-old widow in Gujarat's Jamnagar district has filed a police complaint, alleging that her valuable agricultural land was fraudulently sold using forged documents and a fabricated sale agreement. The case highlights the vulnerabilities faced by elderly individuals living alone.
Details of the Alleged Land Fraud
The complainant, Ranjan Sumariya, a resident of Vasai village in Jamnagar, has named several individuals in her complaint filed at the Sikka police station. The accused include Rajkot resident Savdas Chavda, Kishor Gusai and Punja Karmur of Devbhumi Dwarka district, and Jamnagar-based advocate Ranchhod Parsana.
Sumariya has been living alone since her husband, Narshi, passed away three years ago. Following his demise, the family's agricultural land was divided among legal heirs. A portion of the land in Vasai village, with an estimated market value of around Rs 10 crore, was transferred to her name.
The Unfolding of the Alleged Scam
The matter came to light when, on September 19, Savdas Chavda sent a legal notice to Sumariya through his advocate. The notice claimed that her agricultural land had been sold to him on January 23 for Rs 63.32 lakh and that the terms of the sale agreement were not being honored.
Subsequently, on October 6, 2025, Chavda filed a civil suit against Sumariya in the Jamnagar civil court, basing his claim on the alleged sale agreement. It was only after Sumariya received a copy of this agreement submitted in court that she discovered the alleged forgery.
Forgery and Exploitation Allegations
Upon examining the document, Sumariya claims she immediately noticed forged thumb impressions bearing her name. In her police complaint, she alleges that the accused took advantage of her illiteracy and solitary life to concoct a false sale agreement with the sole intent of usurping her high-value land.
The complaint further details that the fraudulent transaction was executed using:
- Fake thumb impressions.
- False identification documents.
- Fabricated witness evidence.
She has accused advocate Ranchhod Parsana of colluding with the other accused to prepare and legitimize the forged agreement, thereby attempting to illegally transfer the property.
The case is now under investigation, serving as a stark reminder of the importance of legal vigilance, especially for vulnerable sections of society. It underscores how property documents can be manipulated and the critical need for verification processes to prevent such frauds.
