The Gujarat Congress has demanded a Special Investigation Team probe into what it described as an alleged conspiracy to take over land belonging to Thakor families in Khoraj, near Ahmedabad, claiming that police officers, including an officer of Inspector General rank, were involved.
The party said the land at the centre of the dispute is valued at more than Rs 100 crore. Its allegations, reported by Divya Bhaskar, have not been independently established in the supplied report, and no response from the police department or the state government was included.
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Chavda alleged that the families were threatened and pressured after resisting attempts to take over their property. He claimed that members of one family were forced to leave their homes for months and that a woman was taken by police officials and made to sign a First Information Report under pressure.
Chavda also alleged that a case registered against individuals supporting the family was later quashed by the court. According to his account, the family approached the court after the FIR was registered, and the court cancelled the case following arguments. The report does not identify the court order, the case number or the date of the decision.
The Congress leader demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged role of range-level police officers and said the party would provide legal assistance to affected farmers through a team led by senior advocate Anand Yagnik. The party also said it would pursue legal action if the government failed to act and would support people across Gujarat who claim that officials used intimidation to take control of land or property.
Former Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor said he had met the affected family and approached senior political leaders about the dispute. He alleged that the family had sought a meeting with the chief minister but had not received one. Thakor further claimed that a farmer who had left for Dwarka or Somnath because of fear was traced and brought to Gandhinagar by police to sign documents.
Thakor also alleged that four vehicles without number plates were seen near Yagnik’s office when affected farmers visited it. He said the Congress had sought information from the Ahmedabad police commissioner about the vehicles but had not received an explanation. These claims were attributed to Thakor in the report and were not accompanied by documentary evidence in the supplied material.
The allegations raise questions about the safeguards available to landowners when property disputes involve influential individuals or public officials. They also place responsibility on the police and state administration to clarify whether any officers participated in coercion, whether the disputed land transactions were lawful and whether complaints by the families were properly investigated.
The Congress said it would submit complaints naming the officials it believes were involved and approach the Gujarat High Court. It also warned that it would continue its campaign against alleged abuse of authority and provide free legal advice to farmers and other affected families.