MP - BJP MLA Accused of Massive Tribal Land Grab in Dindori: Adivasi Groups Raise Alarm, Demand Action

Jaswinder Singh

JUST a few days ago, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, while delivering a speech in Balaghat, made a shocking statement: those who say Lal Salaam have no right to live on this earth. It is evident that his aim is to suppress the voices of those who speak out against injustice, oppression, discrimination, and state repression. The protests in and around Balaghat include the voices of adivasis, who are asserting their rights and resisting exploitation and displacement.

At the very moment the chief minister was denying the basic right to live to those who say Lal Salaam, in Dindori – a district adjacent to Balaghat – a BJP MLA and former minister was found to be illegally occupying 795 acres of tribal land. The BJP government and the administration under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav were complicit in and shielding this massive land grab. To protect the loot of his party’s MLA, the chief minister is trying to silence every voice of dissent. Hence, those who say Lal Salaam, who stand against oppression and exploitation, are being targeted and their very right to exist is being questioned. The goal is clear: abolish the right to live, suppress resistance, and ensure only the looters and their rule prevail.

Scams and the BJP government’s protection of Sanjay Pathak in such scams is not new. In 2017, while serving as a minister in Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s cabinet, Sanjay Pathak was embroiled in a Rs 500 crore hawala scam in Katni. Around 40 fake accounts were opened in Axis Bank, through which transactions worth crores were made. A labourer named Rajneesh Tiwari filed a complaint stating that an account had been opened in his name without his knowledge, through which Rs 15 crore was transacted. He was shocked to learn that a PAN card had been issued in his name – one he had never applied for.

Superintendent of Police Gaurav Tiwari began an investigation and uncovered 40 such accounts involved in hawala transactions totaling Rs 500 crore. One of the accused, Sanjay Tiwari, confessed that he worked for the minister, Sanjay Pathak. All evidence pointed towards the minister. However, as the investigation progressed, SP Gaurav Tiwari was abruptly transferred. In response, the people of Katni took to the streets in protest. But the BJP, determined to shield its minister, suppressed the matter by pressuring the newly appointed SP.

Sanjay Pathak is not just a BJP MLA – he is the wealthiest legislator in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, with business interests spread across 12 countries. His influence and the protection extended to him by the ruling party exemplify the nexus of power, corruption, and repression that is undermining democracy and the rule of law in the state.

Apart from his other businesses in Katni and surrounding areas, Sanjay Pathak also owns a mining business. Whether it is bauxite, red stone, or other minerals, his name figures prominently among the mining mafia. This is hardly surprising – when the government itself offers protection, and the police and administration bow before him, who would dare to challenge his dominance?

Currently, the Baiga tribal community in Dindori is under direct assault. The Baigas are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). The average life expectancy of Baiga tribals is just 39.7 years – 38.7 years for men and 40.7 years for women. According to government data, 89 per cent of Baigas are under the age of 40. Several schemes have been launched for their protection and survival due to their declining numbers. In fact, they are even excluded from family planning efforts.

But does the BJP care? Under the previous BJP-led Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, Baiga women were forcibly sterilised just to meet sterilisation targets. If a BJP MLA is now grabbing Baiga land worth thousands of crores at throwaway prices – fraudulently occupying their ancestral lands, depriving them of livelihood, and forcing them to migrate – how can justice be expected from the BJP or its government? In truth, the administration is facilitating this loot.

To protect Sanjay Pathak’s plunder, all rules and laws are being openly violated. In Dindori district, 64.4 per cent of the population is tribal. As a Fifth Schedule area, no outsider or government entity can legally acquire land without the consent of the local Gram Panchayat. Moreover, the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, or PESA, gives the Panchayat and Gram Sabha the authority to make decisions on all such matters. Yet, these legal safeguards are being flagrantly ignored as tribal lands are seized.

Sanjay Pathak owns two mining companies: Anand Mining Corporation and Yash Pathak Corporation. He has been acquiring tribal land under fake names for these ventures. In Bajag tehsil of Dindori district, he has taken over land in around nine villages predominantly inhabited by Baiga tribals. Just as he had used labourers' accounts in the Rs 500 crore hawala scam in Katni, here too he has exploited tribal people as fronts in fraudulent transactions.

In total, 795 acres of land from nine villages – including Bauna, Jalda, Pipariya Mal, Sarai Tola, Harai Tola, and Bargheli – have been acquired. The market value of this land exceeds Rs 1,100 crore, yet it was purchased at throwaway prices, robbing the Baiga community of their most vital resource: land.

Since Sanjay Pathak could not purchase the land in his own or his family members' names, the transactions were carried out in the names of four tribal individuals from Katni district. These tribals are: Raghuraj Singh Gond, Nathu Kol, Rakesh Singh Gond, and Prahlad Kol. It is important to examine the financial condition of these individuals who have ostensibly purchased land worth crores of rupees.

Raghuraj Singh is a resident of Sutri village in Barhi tehsil of Katni district. His father owns 8.225 acres of land, of which Raghuraj, being one of four brothers, receives a share of 2.05 acres. His name is listed in the Below Poverty Line (BPL) register. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, he has been sanctioned Rs 1.20 lakh for constructing a house. He also receives free rations from the Public Distribution System (PDS) shop. Yet, the same Raghuraj Singh is shown as having purchased 410 acres of land in Dindori district.

Nathu Kol, the second individual, hails from Gondkhar village in Vijayraghavgarh tehsil of Katni district. He too is on the BPL list. His family benefits from the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and until 2024, he was also receiving free rations from the government-run ration shop in his village. Yet, he is recorded as having bought 184.32 acres of land in Pipariya Mal village of Bajag tehsil in Dindori, even though he owns just 2.43 acres of land himself.

Rakesh Singh Gond, the third buyer, lives in Basmati village of Barhi tehsil in Katni district. He is listed as BPL and, along with his wife Sumitra Bai, has worked under the MGNREGA scheme. Last year, Rakesh earned Rs 1,435 from seven days of MGNREGA work, while Sumitra earned Rs 817. The couple owns just 3.65 acres of land and does not even receive regular monthly BPL wages. They too receive free rations. Yet, Rakesh is listed as having bought 88.08 acres of land in Pipariya Mal and Bakhlori Sani villages of Bajag tehsil in Dindori district.

Prahlad Kol, the fourth individual, is a resident of Ward 30 in Katni Municipal Corporation. His family is also on the BPL list. As recently as May 2025, his family collected wheat, rice, and salt from the PDS system. This gives a clear picture of their financial status. Nevertheless, Prahlad Kol is listed as having purchased 112 acres of land in Harra Tola and Pipariya Mal villages of Bajag tehsil in Dindori.

The question that arises is: how did families listed under the Below Poverty Line (BPL) manage to acquire land worth hundreds of crores of rupees? There must be an investigation into who deposited money into their bank accounts. The role of the Dindori district administration also warrants scrutiny – how was permission granted for the sale of land belonging to a primitive tribal community? Why were Gram Sabhas and Panchayats bypassed, in clear violation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution and the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA)?

Leaders of the Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha, Ramnarayan Kurriya and Anil Salam, visited the affected villages in Bajag tehsil on May 31 and June 1. They held meetings in Bauna, Jalda, Pipariya Mal, Sarai Tola, and Bargheli villages and gathered testimonies from the tribal residents. The leaders observed that the tribals were fearful and not speaking openly, yet visibly disturbed by the ongoing conspiracy to dispossess them of their ancestral lands. While they expressed a desire to resist, they also shared concerns about being betrayed by political leaders who might exploit their struggle.

The tribals informed Ramnarayan Kurriya that conspiracies against them continue unabated. For instance, Sarita Patta, the sarpanch of Pipariya Mal village and a member of the Baiga tribal community, has been actively opposing the bauxite mining project. She raised her objections during the Gram Sabha meetings. However, the deputy sarpanch, who is allegedly acting as a broker for Sanjay Pathak, has orchestrated the resignation of two Panchayat members (Panchs) and disappeared with 15 others. There are 20 Panchs in total, leaving Sarita in a minority. A no-confidence motion is reportedly being prepared to remove her from her post. Is the administration aware of the real reason behind this political manoeuvring?

Additionally, Dhawan Baiga of Pipariya Mal died under suspicious circumstances. An amount of Rs 4.9 lakh was credited to his bank account for the sale of 10 acres of land – yet his family has no knowledge of any such transaction or land sale on his part.

Several tribal organisations and political parties are protesting this brazen land grab. But the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its state government continue to shield their corrupt and land-grabbing MLA. Meanwhile, the Adivasi Ekta Mahasabha and Lal Jhanda activists are striving to mobilise and unite the tribal communities to raise the slogan of Lal Salaam, against injustice and exploitation.

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