Nagpur: Acting on a slew of complaints, Nagpur Police have launched a hunt for Vijay alias Viju Ghodke, a notorious land mafia, who has created a reign of terror in Beltarodi area of the city. Operating with the help of henchmen, he has managed to illegally seize several plots of land worth crores, using forged documents, a local media report said.
His criminal activities, which include attempted murder and assault, have instilled fear among the locals, often forcing victims to settle disputes privately instead of approaching police. In a recent case, Prashant Hadke, a resident of Swavalambi Nagar, was allegedly targeted by Viju and his gang.
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Friday 31 Jan. 2025
They forged documents to lay claim to his ancestral 3.44-hectare land. Following a complaint by Hadke, Beltarodi police registered a case against Viju, Haridas Gaikwad of Chandramani Nagar, and Ritesh Ghodeswar of New Kailash Nagar.
However, upon learning of the case registration, Viju fled the area. Police raided his house in Beltarodi but discovered he had already left for Pune with his second wife. Investigations confirmed that Viju is in Pune, and his criminal record includes charges of attempted murder and assault.
Initially involved in running a gambling club, Viju eventually expanded into land grabbing, recruiting local criminals from Ajni and Tajabad to help him. He manipulates vulnerable land-owners by creating fraudulent documents. Beltarodi police are taking the case seriously and are working to apprehend Viju, who remains on the run.
