Madhya Pradesh: 50 property records found in his name, Khandwa revenue official suspended

As the matter came to light earlier this week, the official, Rajesh Mandloi, was suspended.

A common village courtyard shared by four families, an open area between houses containing a stepwell, a platform at the village bus stand: Public spaces like these were among more than 50 properties found recorded in the name of a revenue official and his wife in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district.

As the matter came to light earlier this week, the official, Rajesh Mandloi, was suspended.

Mandloi was earlier posted as patwari, a revenue official responsible for maintaining land records, in Kolgaon.

During scrutiny of records prepared under the MP government’s Swamitva land-rights scheme, the properties were found in the names of Mandloi and his wife Manisha. Of the 51 properties, 48 were recorded in Mandloi’s name and three in his wife’s name.

The matter came to light after the list of properties prepared under the scheme was released and villagers began checking the ownership entries. A subsequent revenue inquiry found irregularities and led to Mandloi’s suspension.

Khandwa Collector Rishabh Gupta said the administration had received information that a patwari had entered plots in his own name and those of his family members under the Swamitva scheme. “The matter was investigated and the complaint was found to be correct, following which the patwari was suspended and a departmental inquiry initiated,” Gupta said.

Khandwa district officials told The Indian Express that the suspension followed a report submitted by the Naib Tehsildar of the Jawar revenue circle.

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“The names of Mandloi and his wife had allegedly been deliberately entered in government land records under the Adhikar Abhilekh Yojana in Kolgaon. Mandloi was suspended with immediate effect under Rule 9 of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1966,” said a district official.

The case has raised questions over how the disputed entries passed through the various stages involved in preparing and approving rural property records.

How does the Swamitva process work

Under the Swamitva process, rural residential areas are surveyed and property records prepared before claims and objections are invited. At the village level, the process involves the sarpanch, secretary, patwari and other members. The draft is subsequently examined by the revenue officer concerned before claims and objections are dealt with and the final record is approved.

In Kolgaon, 935 property titles were prepared under the scheme. The discovery of 51 entries in the names of the patwari and his wife has raised questions over how the disputed entries were recorded, verified and cleared.

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District officials listed a number of properties under scrutiny. These include a plot where the Balahi community had begun constructing a ceremonial hall. Construction had reached the plinth stage before work was stopped after the ownership record came to light.

A residential property belonging to a villager identified as Baliram was also allegedly found recorded in Mandloi’s name under survey number 530.

The discrepancies had allegedly been noticed earlier during the preparation of residential land records in 2023-24. The former village sarpanch had raised the issue with the then patwari and was told that the records would be corrected. The matter resurfaced after the Swamitva list was released, officials said.

“Following the complaint, the current patwari, Rakesh Patel, carried out verification of the relevant survey numbers and compared the records with the properties being used by residents,” the official said.

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The administration’s departmental inquiry is now expected to establish how the 51 entries were created, who verified them and whether other officials were involved in preparing or approving the records.

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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