Salt Lake-based real estate developer held for illegally encroaching govt land

Kolkata: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a Salt Lake-based real estate developer on Wednesday for allegedly encroaching several government plots by forging related documents.

According to sources, during 2019, the state Urban Development (UD) department noticed that few plots which belonged to the government were encroached and fake land related documents had been made. Later, a complaint was lodged at the Bidhannagar North police station and the case was subsequently taken up by the CID last year and a probe was initiated. Investigating officers of the CID came to know that one Rajiv Ranjan Kumar was behind the whole episode. On Wednesday, the CID picked up Kumar from his residence in AC Block. He was produced at the Bidhannagar Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court and has been remanded to CID custody till July 9. While probing, it was found that the lessee of the plot wished to return it to the state government as he was leaving the city forever. Kumar and his associates had impersonated as officials of the UD department and convinced the person to sign several documents. Later, the accused persons used those documents to grab the plot. Following the same strategy, they had allegedly grabbed few other plots as well.