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Historic decision by the Court of the Additional District Collector
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Court restores grabbed land to Shri Bhagwanpuri Sansthan
Amravati, Maharashtra – A conspiracy to grab agricultural land owned by the registered Public Religious Trust named ‘Shri Bhagwanpuri Sansthan, Kuralpurna’, located in Fubgaon of Chandurbazar taluka of Amravati, has been foiled due to the vigilant and legal efforts of the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh. Delivering a judgment in favour of the Sansthan, the Additional District Collector of Amravati cancelled the illegal mutation entries, and the Revenue Department has officially re-entered the Sansthan’s name on the 7/12 extract.
1. This agricultural land is owned by the registered Sansthan. In 2023, by taking undue advantage of a 50-year-old and already cancelled order, revenue officials were misled. On that basis, the name of the Sansthan was removed from the mutation records, and ownership rights were entered in the name of the late Gulabrao Hambirji Charjan. The appeal filed by the Sansthan before the Sub-Divisional Officer, Achalpur against this was rejected, clearing the path for the land grab.
2. Against this injustice, the trustees of the Sansthan approached the Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh. When Shri. Anoop Jaiswal, a state office-bearer of the Mahasangh, carried out an in-depth study of the original documents of the case, a shocking truth came to light.
3. The purchase certificate displayed was based on an order dated 31 January 1966; however, that order had already been cancelled by the then Sub-Divisional Officer on 31 October 1968. Following a re-investigation on 18 February 1970, the Additional Tehsildar-cum-Agricultural Land Tribunal ruled that this land belongs to a registered religious institution and the income derived from it is used solely for the works of the Devasthan.
4. Under the provisions of the Tenancy Act, the lands of such religious institutions cannot be forcibly transferred to a tenant (kul). Even though this 1970 order was final, illegal mutation entries were sanctioned on the basis of cancelled documents.
5. Placing these solid legal proofs forward, an appeal was filed in the court of the Additional District Collector with the support of the Mahasangh. Taking into consideration the true facts of the case and Supreme Court judgments, Additional District Collector Govinda Danej ruled in favour of the Sansthan. He ordered the quashing of the Sub-Divisional Officer’s order and the illegal mutation entries.
6. In accordance with this order, the Revenue Department approved a new mutation entry on 23 July 2026, officially restoring the name of ‘Shri Bhagwanpuri Sansthan’ on the 7/12 extract.
7. In this legal battle, President Gajanan Chithore and Secretary Amol Vasankar represented the Sansthan. Due to the staunch advocacy of Maharashtra Mandir Mahasangh, temple land worth crores of rupees that had been grabbed is now secured, and this action is being welcomed everywhere.
