Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The much-talked-about land scam in the state concluded on Thursday when the Supreme Court turned down the special leave petition (SLP) of Lokayukta about Sugni Devi College land scam. BJP legislator Ramesh Mendola has got the benefit of the SC decision to reject the petition.
Now, Mendola has been completely acquitted of the case after 13 years. In 2017, the high court ordered that Mendola had no role in the Sugni Devi land scam, but the Lokayukta filed an SLP in the SC against the HC order. The SC issued notices to Mendola and others in the case. But the apex court has put a full stop on the Lokayukta’s action by rejecting the SLP.
A Congress leader of Indore Suresh Seth filed a petition in a court in 2010 about the land given to Sugni Devi College. In 2013, Lokayukta issued challans to Mendola and 13. A special court took a decision against Mendola and others in the case, but the high court gave relief to him. Mendola had been fighting the case since 2010, which politically damaged him.
What is the case?
Sugni Devi College has three acres in Pardeshipura. The land was given to Dhanlakshmi Chemical Works in 1980 on a 30-year lease for industrial purpose. But Dhanlakshmi got a no-objection certificate from the municipal corporation to sell it. Afterwards, the company sold the land to Nandanagar cooperative body whose chairman was Ramesh Mendola. Mendola, however, said when the scam took place, he was not the chairman of the cooperative body.
