A 68-year-old man arrested in a Jaisalmer land fraud case died at a Jodhpur hospital on Wednesday morning after suffering severe chest and abdominal pain while in police custody, according to the Jaisalmer police and the Times of India report. Naresh Kumar, a resident of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district, was being questioned in connection with an alleged attempt to take possession of agricultural land using forged documents.
Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare said a case was registered at Kotwali police station on July 7, 2026, following a complaint alleging fraudulent possession of land allotted under the Pong Dam oustee rehabilitation policy. Kumar was arrested on Monday and remanded in police custody on Tuesday.
According to police, Kumar complained of severe chest and abdominal pain during questioning on Tuesday night. He was first taken to Government Jawahir Hospital in Jaisalmer and was later referred to Mathuradas Mathur Hospital in Jodhpur because of his critical condition. He died at the Jodhpur hospital on Wednesday morning.
Kotwali station house officer Premaram Chaudhary said the complaint was filed by Multan Singh, a resident of Harsan village in Kangra district. Singh’s father, Chunilal, had reportedly been allotted 25 bighas of agricultural land in Jaisalmer under the rehabilitation policy for Pong Dam oustees.
The complaint alleges that an impostor was presented as the original allottee at the Sub-Registrar’s Office in Mohangarh to register the land. A fake photograph, forged signatures, an Aadhaar card and an incorrect PAN number were allegedly used during the process. The land was registered on June 16, 2026, after which a mutation was entered in the name of Mohan Lal, son of Laduram Jat.
The alleged fraud came to light after a neighbour, Mahipal Bishnoi, informed the family that someone had purchased the land. Multan Singh subsequently obtained land records and registration documents, which he said revealed irregularities in the transaction. The police case is focused on the alleged use of forged identity and land documents to alter possession and ownership records.
The report does not provide details of a post-mortem examination, the medical cause of death or any further police action following Kumar’s death. It also does not state whether other individuals named in the registration and mutation documents have been questioned or arrested. The investigation into the alleged land fraud was continuing, according to the report.
