An 87-year-old woman in Bilaspur district has accused a local BJP-supported panch of using KYC, paddy-registration and insurance pretexts to grab property and cash worth about ₹90 lakh, and on Thursday the police booked the accused after the matter reached the SSP’s office.

Allegations and lead details
According to the complaint filed by Balkunvar Basor of Belgahna village, the accused — identified as panch Fagun Prasad Prajapati alias Monu, a resident of Kenda — cultivated a relationship by offering help and carrying out KYC formalities for her bank account. Initial reports indicate that on 14 December 2021, about ₹23 lakh was transferred from Basor’s Indian State Bank account into the accused’s account, the complaint says.

Land and documents
Basor told officials she was taken to Kota tehsil in July and September 2022 for “paddy registration” that was presented as necessary to sell produce. She alleges multiple documents were signed and thumb impressions taken. Later, when Basor checked with the cooperative bank and the patwari, she learned that no paddy sale had been recorded in her name and that two plots — khata numbers 763 and 991/2, totalling about 6.34 acres (roughly 2.5 hectares) in Lufa gram panchayat — had been transferred in the accused’s name.

Vehicle and jewellery transfers
The complaint also states that vehicles registered earlier in the name of her deceased son Ramesh — a Centro car, an Activa and a small commercial vehicle — were shown to require insurance or paperwork updates. Basor alleges that after giving thumb impressions, she later found the three vehicles transferred to Prajapati’s name. She further says gold and silver kept at home were taken by the accused.

Local response and police delays
Basor and her relatives said they repeatedly approached local authorities — Belgahna police chowki, the SDOP office in Kota and the SSP office in Bilaspur — seeking redress. They allege the police delayed action for a long time and, after what they say was an intermediary payment of ₹2 lakh from the accused’s side, told them the matter was not fit for investigation and advised them to pursue civil remedies in court under Section 174 final report procedures.

Escalation to IG, SSP intervention
On Thursday, Basor visited the IG office in Bilaspur and submitted a written complaint to DSP Vivek Sharma after she could not meet IG Ramgopal Garg. Her submission included a request for dignity and, as she described it, a plea for “right to die” (a statement she used to highlight her distress at alleged injustice). DSP Sharma said he would review the matter and ensure action, sources said.

After the application reached SSP Rajnesh Singh, the police ordered a probe and registered a case against Prajapati under sections related to cheating, fraudulent transfer of property and other relevant provisions. Officers are now examining bank transactions, land registry entries and vehicle transfer documents, a police official confirmed.

Ground-level cues
Villagers and relatives described Basor as a widow who survives by selling jhawa-tukni (bamboo baskets); she lives with one daughter who cares for her. Neighbours told reporters the family had little means and that the case had created palpable anger in the locality. Several residents said they had seen the accused routinely helping the elderly woman before the alleged transfers came to light.

Next steps in probe
Police said forensic scrutiny of the disputed signatures and thumb impressions, along with bank records and land registry documents, will determine whether the transfers were fraudulent. The investigating officer added that records from the cooperative bank and the tehsil office were being sought and that vehicle registration and insurance companies would be asked for transfer paperwork.

Why it matters
The case highlights recurring vulnerabilities facing elderly, low-income residents in rural India, where informal assistance can be exploited to execute property transfers. Rights activists say quick, transparent criminal probes are essential to deter similar cases and restore public confidence in local institutions.

Related developments
Officials have not released statements by the accused so far. The police have called for a technical review and said they would update the complainant once document verification is complete.