The troubles for suspended IAS officer Abhishek Prakash are expected to intensify as the Revenue Department is in the process of preparing a detailed chargesheet related to the Bhatagaon land scam. The charge sheet may also seek explanations from him regarding media reports published on the matter. Once prepared, the charge sheet will be reviewed by the Department of Appointments and Personnel before being officially served to him.
The scam pertains to irregularities in land acquisition for the Defence Corridor project. A detailed investigation report into the case was submitted last year by a committee led by the then Chairman of the Board of Revenue, Dr Rajneesh Dubey.
The report revealed that the land allotment file dated January 28, 1985, was fabricated. The file falsely listed land leases in the names of 90 individuals. Nearly 35–36 years after the alleged allotment, names were fraudulently entered in the revenue records as owners with transferable rights, without following the due legal process. Initially recorded as non-transferable leaseholders, they were later illegally converted into transferable landholders.
Moreover, land originally allotted to Scheduled Caste (SC) beneficiaries was unlawfully sold to non-SC individuals by concealing crucial facts to obtain permission. The report also states that, as part of a conspiracy, compensation was wrongfully claimed for Gram Sabha (village community) land.
The Revenue Department has included all these points prominently in the draft chargesheet. Notably, while chargesheets against IAS officers are usually issued by the Department of Appointments, in this case, the Revenue Department is being tasked with drafting it to ensure no key detail is overlooked. Media reports have also been considered during the drafting process.
Apart from Abhishek Prakash, who was the District Magistrate of Lucknow at the time, several SDMs (Sub-Divisional Magistrates) and Tehsildars have also been held accountable in this case.
