District Collector in Rajasthan booked on forgery charges

A district collector in Rajasthan has been booked for allegedly committing forgery while allocating land to two builders in Udaipur six years ago.

The two builders - Dharmendra Chaundhar and Dheeraj Bhadvia alleged that 2005 batch IAS officer Jogaram, who was posted as the Secretary Urban Improvement Trust (UIT) in Udaipur in 2008, his brother and friends took cash and assets worth Rs 1.35 crore in instalments for allocation of land at a prime location.

The builders claimed that they were allocated land over a drain, which could not be allocated as per rules.

They alleged that Jogaram, currently posted as District Collector of Kota, assured them of the land use conversion and asked them to fulfil his more demands.

Jogaram's brother Nathuram and two friends Shrawan and Sanju were also involved in the matter, they alleged.

The builders said besides cash, they gifted them cars and borne their other expenses.They filed a complaint with the SP Udaipur on May 14, but no action was taken on it.

They later approached a local court which directed police to register a case against Jogaram and his associates.

Police said an FIR was registered against the accused under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 467 (Forgery of valuable security), 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 219 (Public servant in judicial proceeding corruptly making report) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

Meanwhile, the officer denied the allegations saying that he was being implicated in a false case.

"The allegations are baseless and it will be clear during investigation," Jogaram said.