Man Allegedly Caught Hiding Original Land Records in Gwalior Tehsil Office

Attempt to take original land records from Bhitarwar tehsil’s Nakal branch

An unauthorized person was allegedly caught trying to take an original khatoni and other important documents out of the Nakal branch of the Bhitarwar tehsil office in Gwalior by hiding them in his bag. The entire incident was recorded on the CCTV cameras installed inside the branch.

The documents were recovered after an employee became suspicious and checked the person’s bag. However, the incident has raised serious questions about security arrangements at the tehsil office and the unrestricted movement of outsiders inside the sensitive Nakal branch.

The person has been identified as Prem Narayan Dubey, a resident of village Sankhani. A case has been registered against him at Bhitarwar police station. He is currently reported to be absconding, and police are searching for him.

Documents recovered after employee raises suspicion

The incident reportedly took place on the evening of 9 October at the Bhitarwar tehsil office. According to the information available, Prem Narayan Dubey reached the Nakal branch under suspicious circumstances.

He is accused of placing an original copy of the khatoni kept in the branch, along with some other documents, inside his bag. During this process, an employee noticed his activities and became suspicious.

The employee then searched the bag. The original khatoni and the other documents were found inside it. This prevented the alleged attempt to take the documents outside the office.

The documents were later checked by the employees. After the original copy of the khatoni and the other records were confirmed, the accused was released at that time. A formal complaint was filed later after directions from senior officials.

CCTV footage becomes key part of investigation

The activities inside the Nakal branch were recorded by CCTV cameras. The footage reportedly shows the documents being placed inside the bag and the employees catching the person.

The complainant has handed over the CCTV footage to the police. There is also discussion that the footage is now going viral on social media. Police are treating the footage as an important basis for the investigation.

The CCTV recording is expected to help establish the sequence of events inside the branch. The police investigation is currently being conducted on the basis of the footage and the complaint filed by the branch official.

Oral complaint followed by FIR

After the incident, the Principal Copyist of the Nakal branch informed senior officers orally. The matter was then examined, including the documents involved in the incident.

After the documents were checked and the entire matter was confirmed, directions were received from senior officials on 4 November. Following those directions, Principal Copyist Sunil Chandravanshi filed a complaint against Prem Narayan Dubey at Bhitarwar police station.

On the basis of the complaint, police named Prem Narayan Dubey as the accused and registered a case. The search for him has begun. He is reported to have fled after the case was registered.

Questions over access to sensitive records

Another important detail has emerged during the inquiry into the incident. The accused was reportedly visiting the Nakal branch for a long time. This is believed to have given him access to the original documents kept inside the office.

The incident has raised several questions about the working of the Bhitarwar tehsil office. Original revenue records connected with land are important documents. Any tampering with or theft of such records can affect the land-related rights of ordinary citizens.

The main question is how an unauthorized person was able to enter a sensitive section such as the Nakal branch. Questions have also been raised about whether there was any control over the movement of outsiders inside the office.

The incident has further raised concerns about the arrangements responsible for protecting original khatoni records and other documents. It is not clear how the accused was able to reach the records or move around the branch before an employee noticed his activities.

For now, Prem Narayan Dubey is reported to be absconding, and police are searching for him. The investigation is continuing with the help of the CCTV footage. It remains to be seen when police arrest the accused and what changes the tehsil administration makes to the security arrangements at the Nakal branch after the incident.