Hearing commences in Rani Mukherjee land case

MAHARASTRA: Hearing by the Ahmednagar district administration in the Rs 33-lakh fake land deal case involving Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee commenced on Tuesday.
    
The hearing involving Mukherjee and Sampat More has been adjourned till December 31.
    
"The lawyers of Rani Mukherjee and More presented their arguments. But no decision has been taken and the hearing has been adjourned till December 31," Sub-Divisional Magistrate Srirampur, Nandkumar Suryavanshi, said.
    
Mukherjee was duped of Rs 33 lakh in a land deal in Shirdi in Ahmednagar district.
    
The actress bought a plot in the pilgrim town, hoping to build a house but was duped into paying for land belonging to the State Farming Corporation. The plot is yet to receive the required government clearance.
    
The actress had bought 1,100 sq mt of land near Nimgaon Korhade at Shirdi, 271 km north of Mumbai, in December 2005 from More for Rs 33 lakh.
    
The Corporation had given agricultural land slightly above a hectare, on a conditional basis, to Raman Kshirsagar, a farmer, in 1977. Kshirsagar sought non-agricultural status for part of the land to set up a brick kiln.
    
Although the status was granted, Kshirsagar carved up the land and sold it to 17 buyers instead of setting up the kiln. One of the buyers was More, who in turn sold it to Mukherjee.
    
"The land could be seized by the administration. But Mukherjee could still own the land if she is permitted to regularise it by paying fine of Rs 21 lakh or more (75 per cent of the current land price), after its valuation is done," Suryavanshi said.