Retired Army Officer Fights for Stolen Agricultural Land in Rajasthan

92-year-old retired Army officer Captain Chunni Lal is now in a fight. Not against enemies on the battlefield, but something his family calls the "fourth battle" a legal struggle to get back the agricultural land he claims was stolen from him in Rajasthan. It all started with allegations that the land was fraudulently sold without his knowledge.

This veteran spent his life serving the country across three wars: the 1962 India-China War, and the 1965 and 1971 conflicts with Pakistan. Now, he’s facing this fight for ownership in Jaisalmer .

The retired officer, who lives in Himachal Pradesh and is one of those families displaced by the Pong Dam project a history that ties into land redistribution schemes alleges a much darker story. They claim the land allotted to him in Mohangarh area under a government rehabilitation scheme was first mortgaged. Then sold for twenty-five lakh rupees using forged papers and an impersonator.

His family insists a whole land mafia orchestrated this mess. Fake paperwork, they say, were prepared. Another person posed as Captain Lal during the registration process. It’s a story about manipulation, plain and simple.

Captain Lal's side recalls that when the Pong Dam project took place, they surrendered fertile ancestral farmland in Himachal Pradesh. In return, they got agricultural land in Rajasthan through the Indira Gandhi Canal rehabilitation scheme. But things got twisted later on.

When he first remembered the allotment period, the veteran said that land was just sand dunes back then. Over time, his family worked hard. Relentlessly. They turned that barren desert into something cultivable. Hard work, you know?

The specifics of the fraud are tied up in dates. Captain Lal’s son, Multan Singh Thakur , pointed out that the disputed sale deed was registered on June 16th. The land mutation the official change of ownership was completed just six days later, June 22nd. A quick move.

When they tried to sort this out, the family went to Mohangarh police station first. But they got bounced around. Directed to PTM police station because of jurisdiction. Then asked to go to Kotwali . That’s where the registration allegedly happened.

Thakur made it clear about the deception. Even though his father is ninety-two years old, the accused supposedly put a seventy-five-year-old man before the sub-registrar office. This man was posing as the veteran just to sign off on the sale deed.

When they finally pushed for cancellation of the mutation through the revenue officials, they were told it had to go to court. Just another roadblock.

The sheer effort involved was exhausting. The family kept going. Repeated visits to police stations. Government offices. It took a toll. Captain Lal, who suffers from heart problems, got worn out during all these official procedures. He reportedly fell asleep while giving his fingerprints. You can imagine the strain of that kind of bureaucratic wrestling match.

Captain Lal himself said he knew nothing about the alleged sale. But once they found out what was happening, he immediately traveled from Himachal Pradesh to Mohangarh . He wanted justice. From the tehsil administration. From the police.

He claimed this wasn't just an isolated incident. It felt like part of a bigger network. One targeting landowners through fake documents and dodgy registrations.

He suggested that people displaced by the Kangra region, ex-servicemen living outside Rajasthan they are especially vulnerable. They stay away from their allotted land for long stretches. That makes them easy targets.

Questioning how this whole registration process happened, Captain Lal argued that if authorities had actually verified the identities and documents properly, this kind of fraud would have been stopped dead in its tracks.

Lalaram Chaudhary , a retired Sergeant and in-charge of the Soldiers’ Rest House in Jaisalmer , backed these family claims. He said land brokers deliberately target those who were displaced or ex-servicemen. Why? Because they live far away. They don't know the local paperwork well enough. Forged documents are used to grab that land illegally.

"It is just unfortunate," Chaudhary stated. "A soldier who fought in the sixties and seventies, he spent days traveling in hired taxis, borrowing money, just trying to find justice." He urged both the Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh governments to step in now.

Following their representation before the Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police, an FIR finally got registered at Kotwali police station. The Additional Superintendent of Police Rewatdan confirmed that a case was filed based on the retired Army officer’s complaint.

He said, "An ex-army man came to us. He told us his land deed had been fraudulently registered in someone else's name through impersonation. We have registered a case at Kotwali . A thorough investigation will happen. Legal action will be taken against those responsible."

The police assured them that they were going to look into the revenue department records too. They promised strict legal action against whoever was found guilty. Meanwhile, Jaisalmer Additional District Magistrate Parsaram Saini stayed quiet. He said he didn't know about the case. Said it fell under the Colonisation Department’s purview. Just silence on the matter.