Pune: A former soldier's 3-acre land has been illegally occupied in Baramati using forged documents and a fake identity.

The incident came to light when Mahadev Vitthal Kumbhar, a 67-year-old retired soldier from Sai Nagar, Baramati, lodged a complaint with the police.

According to Kumbhar, a group of individuals created a fake Aadhaar card under his name and presented a forged identity before officials at the Baramati Sub-Registrar's office.

On February 16, 2024, these individuals successfully carried out an illegal transaction, transferring Kumbhar's land to themselves.

The accused, identified as Mahadev Vitthal Kumbhar from Pirale Nategaon, Malshiras Taluka, Solapur district, Nitin Pandharinath Dangat from Wadgaon Budruk, Haveli, Pune district, Ganesh Eknath Magar from Magarpatta, Hadapsar, Pune district, and Ashok Kerbhou Bhorade from Pimpri Sandas, Haveli, Pune district, along with 5-6 unidentified accomplices, are accused of orchestrating this elaborate fraud.

They allegedly used the fake Aadhaar card to impersonate the retired soldier and conducted an illegal transaction at the Sub-Registrar's office, forging a non-possession deed (No. 1466/2024).

The land, located in Murti, Baramati Taluka, was allotted to Kumbhar by the government under the ceiling act. It was revealed that a total of 118 Gunthas (approximately 3 acres) of Kumbhar’s land was seized by the accused. Relatives of Kumbhar also reported that another individual in the same area was similarly defrauded.

Police Inspector Santosh Gholave, who is leading the investigation, stated that the case appears to be part of a larger criminal racket. While no arrests have been made yet, police are actively pursuing leads to expose the full extent of the fraud.