MP revenue official lists 51 govt properties in his, wife’s names; suspended

A village-level revenue official in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district was suspended on Thursday for owning 51 government properties after his name emerged multiple times in a list compiled under the Union government’s Svamitva scheme, approved in the state this year.

The list revealed that Rajesh Mandloi, a patwari, owned properties including a courtyard shared by multiple families and public spaces including an open space between houses, a platform in a bus stand and a stepwell. The probe has not yet determined the total value of the properties Mandloi accumulated but a revenue official, who asked not to be identified, said it is likely to run into crores.

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A resident of Khargone area, Mandloi was posted as a patwari in Kolgaon village in 2023, the official said. He registered 48 government land parcels in his own name and three in his wife, Manisha Mandloi’s name during his tenure.

The Svamitva Adhikar Abhilekh Nispadan Evam Panjiyan Yojana 2026 (Ownership Rights Record Execution and Registration Scheme) was approved by the state cabinet in June.

Under the scheme, a total of 935 land leases were issued in Kolgaon. The scheme provides rural families with free residential land rights; it waives stamp duty and registration fees on property rights records issued under the scheme.

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A complaint registered against Mandloi by former sarpanch Radheshyam Tomar led to a probe and Mandloi’s suspension. It was alleged that Mandloi, who was responsible for maintaining land records in the area, surreptitiously transferred ownership rights into his wife and his names. “Mandloi and his wife’s names were recorded with ‘malicious intent’ in government land records of Kolgaon. He has been suspended with immediate effect under Rule 9 of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules, 1966, for alleged irregularities and abuse of office,” said Rishabh Gupta, Khandwa district collector. Mandloi said, “It was necessary to register a Samagra Id against every land parcel. I was posted there so I used my ID. I forgot to rectify the data.”