A Kolkata-based doctor who is a native of Purnia town of Bihar has alleged that his paternal land in prime location at Line Bazar has been grabbed in his absence.

Dr Rahul De,a neurosurgeon, has now sought the help of Purnia district Bar Association as his late father was a lawyer in Purnia civil court. He has also written to the district magistrate in this regard. Dr De’s father died five years ago and the family lives in Kolkata.In his petition, he said, “On the night of July 31, the henchmen of two land brokers –Avneesh Sah and Barishtha Singh, both residents of Prabhat Colony in Purnia town –forcibly captured my land and building.” He alleged that they also assaulted the caretaker who later informed him about the incident.

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De’s land measures 22 kattha (20,042 sq ft). Contradicting the claim of the land brokers that his father sold the land in 1993, Dr De said, “I have received the rent from the state food corporation (SFC) office which was run in the building till last month when the office was shifted.”

Station house officer (SHO) of additional Khazanchi Hat police station Sanjay Kumar Singh said, “We have visited the disputed plot and summoned both the sides to the police station.” He added, “The person against whom land-grabbing charge has been levelled showed his documents whereas Dr De has not yet turned up.”

Purnia district Bar Association chief Bibhakar Singh assured Dr De of full legal support. “This is also related to law and order problem,” Singh said.

Dr De’s advocate Sudip Roy alleged the broker got the land deed in connivance with the staff of registry office and on the basis of that forged documents, mutation of the land was also done in the office of circle officer of Purnia East block.

“The nexus between land brokers, police and officials forced hundreds of Bengali families to leave Purnia in the last two decades,” he said. He informed that a title suit over the grabbed land has been filed at the court.

Bihar Bengali Association is yet to come forward in support of Dr De. There are about 5,000 Bengali families in Purnia division-consisting of four districts-Katihar, Araria, Kishanganj besides Purnia.

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