Maharashtra orders statewide audit of church land after Rs 300 crore Nashik fraud
The Maharashtra government has ordered a statewide audit of land owned by churches and Christian missionary organisations to scrutinise ownership records and transactions dating back to the British era. The decision, which directly impacts institutional properties in Thane and other regions with significant Christian populations, follows an alleged Rs 300 crore land fraud in Nashik.
The audit will be conducted by divisional-level committees headed by divisional commissioners. These committees will verify ownership records of church- and missionary-owned land, including transfers made before and after Independence. The panels will also investigate alleged encroachments and transactions that may have violated existing laws.
The state-level review was prompted by a police investigation in Nashik, where authorities uncovered an alleged land fraud involving prime church property worth approximately Rs 300 crore. According to the police, about six acres of land legally belonging to the Nashik Diocesan Trust Association (NDTA) was illegally leased to government departments and sold to private parties over several decades.
The First Information Report (FIR) alleged that another organisation, the Nashik Diocesan Council (NDC), used forged documents to establish ownership and facilitate these transactions. Unusually, the Nashik police themselves were among the victims, having leased and occupied a portion of the disputed land for the Nashik Police Commissionerate since 1990.
The issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly by BJP MLA Devyani Pharande, who urged the government to investigate whether similar land disputes existed across other parts of Maharashtra. In response, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule announced the statewide audit, stating that the exercise would be completed within three months.
The audit committees will comprise officials from the Settlement Commissioner’s office, the police department, and the Inspector General of Registration. The government has stated that organisations with legally valid titles do not need to worry. However, if the inquiry uncovers illegal transfers, forged records, or other violations, legal proceedings will be initiated. In cases where public infrastructure has already been developed on such land, the government will make decisions after obtaining legal advice.
According to the 2011 Census, Maharashtra is home to about 10.8 lakh Christians, representing 0.96 per cent of the state's population. The community's landholdings are largely concentrated in areas including Thane, Mumbai, Palghar, Raigad, Pune, Ahmednagar, and parts of Konkan. These properties are held through hundreds of legally distinct entities, such as individual dioceses, parishes, educational trusts, hospitals, and charitable societies, rather than a single central church body.
