HC issues ultimatum on tribal land scam

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by petitioner Vishnu Sahu, the court issued immediate notices to the Central Government, the State Government, and Deputy Commissioners of the four affected districts.

The High Court directed all respondents to file detailed responses within one week, highlighting the gravity of the large-scale land misappropriation occurring in West Singhbhum, Gumla, Simdega, and Khunti districts.

The petitioner informed the bench that perpetrators are brazenly flouting laws in these tribal regions through unregistered, plain-paper agreements known as ‘sada patta’ to transfer valuable tribal lands illegally.

Organizers executed this scheme by intentionally circumventing the stringent provisions of the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act, thereby threatening the very existence and rights of the local tribal communities.

The petition further alleges that perpetrators utilized these seized lands for the large-scale, unlawful construction of commercial and religious structures, including schools, hospitals, and churches, under the guise of service.

Furthermore, the petition highlights an alarming pattern where operators lure original landowners with employment opportunities inside these newly built institutions before exploiting their economic vulnerability for religious conversions.

Institutional managers subsequently coerce these tribal workers into changing their faith by using employment leverage and pressure tactics after hiring them on their own ancestral property.

Urging immediate judicial intervention, the petitioner requested the High Court to dismantle this entire syndicate completely and order a high-level investigation into these ongoing illegal activities across Jharkhand.