Nath also claimed that "this gang has prepared forged documents relating to several other properties as well". (File Photo)Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath was in for a rude shock when he found that his ancestral land in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district was allegedly being acquired by people not associated with his family.When the former CM looked closer, he found that his late father’s land was allegedly being acquired based on an unregistered will, a forged death certificate and other documents.The Bijnor police have registered an FIR at Najibabad police station and, according to Superintendent of Police K K Bishnoi, two people have been arrested, while a third is absconding. Police are examining whether the group was involved in similar attempts involving other properties.The case came to light in an unusual way. On May 18, 2026, Nath approached the Najibabad tehsildar’s court to have his inheritance over 2 hectares of agricultural land in Amikhanpur village recorded. The land belonged to his late father, Mahendra Nath. But the local lekhpal informed the revenue authorities that another case concerning the land was already pending and the property was therefore being treated as disputed. It was while pursuing his inheritance claim, the FIR says, that Nath learnt that someone else was already staking a claim to the land.According to the FIR, Dharampal Singh, son of Ratan Singh, had produced a “fake, forged and fabricated unregistered will” in a case now pending before the Najibabad tehsildar. The alleged forgery did not stop at the will. The FIR says a purported death certificate of Mahendra Nath, dated April 10, 2003 and allegedly issued from Najibabad, had also been placed on the case record.Kamal Nath told police that the document was false: his father, according to the complaint, died on September 7, 2004, at Escorts Hospital in New Delhi. The complaint also pointed to the name of Mahendra Nath’s wife being recorded as Premlata, which Kamal Nath said was incorrect.Nath alleged that the documents were being used to establish a false chain of ownership over his father’s property. According to the FIR, Dharampal Singh, Jasbinder Singh Dhillon, Vijay Shankar Pandey and David Kumar, the area lekhpal, along with other conspirators, had allegedly “acted in collusion with each other and conspired with the intention of grabbing the applicant’s land”.Story continues below this adThe complaint alleges that the group prepared “a fake and forged unregistered will, death certificate and other documents” with the intention of getting Nath’s agricultural land “registered in their own names by fraudulent means and then selling it”.Nath also claimed that “this gang has prepared forged documents relating to several other properties as well”.Bishnoi said the case may involve a larger portion of Nath’s family property. According to him, Kamal Nath’s father had around 90 bighas of land, of which approximately 36 bighas were allegedly targeted for misappropriation through forged documents.“The accused allegedly produced a forged will purportedly executed in 2003 and, on the basis of that document, created a fake decree in 2004 in Bijnor. They subsequently filed a civil suit in 2020 and attempted to get the land transferred in their names,” Bishnoi said.Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More