Dead on Paper, Alive in Person: Shocking Land Grab Plot in Barabanki
Barabanki police register a case after a man was falsely declared dead in government records to seize his ancestral land and property.
In a bizarre twist of greed and deception, a man in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki district discovered that he had been officially declared dead by the government—all so that fraudsters could seize his ancestral property. The Barabanki land fraud case has now reached the police after the victim fought a legal battle to prove his own existence.
The Plot to 'Kill' a Living Man
The victim, identified as Chhakkan, son of the late Bhagelu Prasad and a resident of Para village, found himself the target of a sinister conspiracy. According to the complaint, two individuals, Ramesh Verma and Jawahar Lal, allegedly conspired with unidentified accomplices to steal his heritage.
The suspects targeted a significant amount of ancestral property, which includes a residential house and approximately 5.590 hectares of land located in Gata number 878kh. To achieve this, they didn't use force—at least not initially—but instead used forgery.
Forgery and Falsified Records
The depth of the deception was staggering. The FIR reveals that the suspects manipulated official records to state that Chhakkan had passed away on December 8, 2021. Following this, they managed to secure a fraudulent death certificate on December 27, 2021, which was then used to update the family register.
The greed didn't stop at land records. The accused allegedly attempted to open a savings account at the Rural Bank in Jarwal Road. To do this, they reportedly used a photograph of a completely different person and prepared falsified notarized affidavits to deceive the bank officials.
Violence and Intimidation
As the plot unraveled, the suspects turned to violence. Chhakkan reported a harrowing incident that occurred on September 1, 2026. While he was returning from the Ramnagar block office, he was intercepted by Ramesh Verma and Jawahar Lal on Lucknow Road, about 100 paces from the office.
The victim alleges that the duo subjected him to verbal abuse, physically assaulted him, and issued death threats to keep him silent and away from his property.
The Long Road to Justice
Despite the gravity of the situation, Chhakkan claims he faced a wall of silence from the authorities. He stated that he sought help from the local police, the Superintendent of Police, and even the Chief Minister's office, but no action was taken.
Left with no other choice, the victim approached the court. It was only after a court order that the Ramnagar police station finally registered a criminal case (number 447/2026) on November 1, 2026.
Legal Consequences
The suspects are now facing serious legal repercussions. They have been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including:
- Section 115(2)
- Section 352
- Section 351(3)
- Section 318(4)
While the Village Panchayat Officer, Rishabh Pandey, noted that the disputed death certificate was eventually rejected, the legal battle continues as the police investigate the full extent of the conspiracy.