Varanasi: In a major crackdown on organised crime, Azamgarh police on Saturday attached immovable property worth around Rs 10 crore belonging to jailed land mafia Krishnachandra Rai alias KC Rai, who is accused of amassing wealth through land fraud, forgery and other organised criminal activities.Rai, currently lodged in Ambedkar Nagar jail, faces multiple criminal cases and has also been booked under the stringent Gangsters Act.Azamgarh City Circle Officer Shubham Todi said the property was attached following an order issued by chief judicial magistrate Satyabir Singh, who also appointed the tehsildar of the concerned area as its administrator.During the investigation of a case registered at Kotwali police station, police found that Rai had been purchasing land in Gram Kodar Azmatpur since 2012 using money allegedly earned through illegal activities, including land fraud using fake khataunis, forgery, criminal breach of trust and other organised crimes. He subsequently constructed a multi-storey building on the land, which was expanded and renovated over the years.Police alleged that the building served as a key meeting point for members of Rai’s gang, where criminal activities were planned and coordinated. They further claimed that the money used for the construction, renovation and maintenance of the property was derived from proceeds of crime.After completing the investigation, the revenue department conducted a demarcation and valuation of the property with assistance from the Public Works Department (PWD). Based on the technical assessment, the market value of the land and building was estimated at ₹10 crore.Police said the court accepted the evidence presented during the investigation, which indicated that Rai had no legitimate source of income to finance the construction of the building or repay loan instalments associated with the property.According to police records, Rai has 16 criminal cases registered against him at various police stations on charges including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, kidnapping and offences under the Gangsters Act.
