HC notice to Maharashtra revenue minister Narayan Rane

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Maharashtra revenue minister Narayan Rane for allegedly helping a city-based industrialist grabbing a plot of land illegally.

A single judge bench of Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari responding to a writ petition, on Friday asked Rane along with Revenue Secretary, Forest Secretary and Managing partner of a local distillery company, Aspi Bapuna to reply to the notice within two weeks.

The Nagpur bench of the High Court also directed the state government not to implement any orders passed by the concerned minister related to the petition till pendency.

The petitioner Shailendra Sahu and his brother, who jointly own a Nazul land in Indora in northern part of city, had been alloted the land on lease by the then Central Province and Berar Government (CP & Berar) in March 1942.

The agreement was renewed till 2008. Sahus and Bapuna later started a distillery company on 30,000 sq ft area. But later a dispute cropped up between the two parties where Sahus alleged that Bapuna has encroached upon the land.

Bapuna took the matter to Rane in March 2008, who was the then revenue minister, pleading that petitioner had breached the lease agreement and hence it should not be renewed. Rane favoured Bapuna and lease agreement was not renewed.

Aggrieved by the decision, Sahu had challenged it in the High Court.