A suspended circle officer in Muzaffarpur has been arrested in connection with an alleged land fraud involving 70 decimals of property valued at around Rs 15 crore, after investigators questioned him for several hours. Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police Kantesh Kumar Mishra confirmed the arrest of Mahendra Prasad Shukla, the former circle officer of Musahari.
Shukla had been suspended after an inquiry recommended by the Muzaffarpur district magistrate. According to Mishra, the inquiry examined alleged irregularities in land mutation, manipulation of land records and suspected collusion with land mafias. The revenue department acted on the district magistrate’s recommendation and designated the Saran division as Shukla’s headquarters during the suspension period.
The allegations under investigation relate to the processing and maintenance of land records, which determine how ownership changes are formally entered in government registers. Investigators are examining whether mutation applications were mishandled and whether forged documents were used to facilitate the alleged fraud.
Police have also alleged that objections were accepted in the names of people who had died, while some mutation applications were deliberately kept pending for months. Shukla is further accused of failing to provide information sought under the Right to Information Act. These allegations remain part of the investigation and have not been established in court.
The case concerns land measuring 70 decimals, with an estimated value of approximately Rs 15 crore. The police are examining the records and documents connected with the property to establish how the alleged irregularities took place and who may have benefited. The investigation is also looking into the possible involvement of officials, intermediaries and suspected land mafias.
Shukla’s name had earlier surfaced in a separate land-grabbing case in the Ahiyapur police station area. An FIR in that matter named Lok Janshakti Party MLA Amit Kumar Ranu, a revenue employee and the circle officer. Police are now investigating whether the two cases are connected.
Mishra said investigators would examine the land records, related documents and the roles of other suspected persons before taking further action. The probe places the functioning of the mutation system at the centre of the case, particularly the safeguards meant to verify objections, ownership claims and documentary submissions before changes are made to official land records.
