He Fought Three Wars. At 92, This Veteran Is Fighting To Reclaim His Jaisalmer Land
He Fought Three Wars. At 92, This Veteran Is Fighting To Reclaim His Jaisalmer Land Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 17:37 IST A
He Fought Three Wars. At 92, This Veteran Is Fighting To Reclaim His Jaisalmer Land Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 17:37 IST A 92-year-old Army veteran of the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars has alleged his Jaisalmer land was sold through forged documents and impersonation. Rapid Read Retired Captain Chunni Lal Photo/ANI After serving the country in three wars, 1962 India-China War, and the 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars, 92-year-old retired Army officer Captain Chunni Lal is now fighting what his family describes as the “fourth battle" of his life a legal fight to reclaim agricultural land in Rajasthan that he alleges was fraudulently sold without his knowledge. The retired officer, a resident of Himachal Pradesh and one of the families displaced by the Pong Dam project, has alleged that land allotted to him in Jaisalmer’s Mohangarh area under a government rehabilitation scheme was first mortgaged and later sold for ₹25 lakh using forged documents and an impersonator. His family claims a land mafia orchestrated the entire transaction by preparing fake paperwork and producing another person to pose as the veteran during the registration process. Land Allotted Under Rehabilitation Scheme Captain Lal said his family had surrendered fertile ancestral farmland in Himachal Pradesh when land was acquired for the Pong Dam project. In return, they received agricultural land in Rajasthan under the Indira Gandhi Canal rehabilitation scheme.
Recalling the early years after the allotment, the veteran said the land was nothing more than sand dunes. Over time, the family worked relentlessly to convert the barren desert into cultivable farmland. Alleged Fraud Came To Light After Sale According to Captain Lal’s son, Multan Singh Thakur, the disputed sale deed was registered on June 16, while the land mutation was completed on June 22. Once the family learnt about the transaction, they approached Mohangarh police station but were directed to PTM police station because of jurisdiction. They were later asked to approach Kotwali police station, where the registration had allegedly taken place. Thakur alleged that although his father is 92 years old, the accused allegedly produced a 75-year-old man before the sub-registrar, impersonating the veteran to execute the sale deed. When the family approached revenue officials seeking cancellation of the mutation, they were allegedly informed that the matter could only be resolved through a court. Repeated Visits Took A Toll On Veteran’s Health The family’s efforts to seek action involved repeated visits to police stations and government offices, which they say affected Captain Lal’s health. According to his family, the retired officer, who is a heart patient, became exhausted during official procedures and even fell asleep while giving his fingerprints. Captain Lal said he had no knowledge of the alleged sale and travelled from Himachal Pradesh to Mohangarh immediately after learning about it to seek justice from the tehsil administration and police.
The BriefWire