Former Surat Collector Ayush Oak’s Land Fraud: Dr. Tushar Chaudhary Calls For SIT Investigation

SURAT, GUJARAT : In a move to address alleged corruption and misuse of authority, former Union Minister and Khedbrahma MLA Dr. Tushar Chaudhary has urged the Gujarat Government to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe accusations against Ayush Oak, the former Surat District Collector. Oak is accused of unlawfully registering tenant names on valuable government land in Dumas, causing significant financial losses to the state.

During a press conference in Surat on Monday, Dr. Tushar Chaudhary, who is the Congress candidate for the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha seat, brought serious allegations against Ayush Oak, the former Surat District Collector. Dr. Chaudhary claimed that Oak, who served in his position until February 2024, defrauded the government by arbitrarily entering the names of ‘tenants’ (ganotiyas) into the official records of government land measuring about 2.17 lakh square meters at survey number 311/3 in Dumas.

“Former Surat District Collector Ayush Oak is fully responsible for this fraudulent activity,” stated Dr. Chaudhary. “I demand the formation of an SIT to thoroughly examine all documents related to this case, ensuring that proper legal action is taken against those responsible.”

According to Dr. Chaudhary, Oak conspired to illegally allocate government land to private tenants, resulting in financial damage amounting to crores of rupees. He emphasized that Oak, despite his constitutional duty to protect government property, acted in direct contravention of established procedures and legal guidelines.

“In 2015, an investigation conducted by the then district collector concluded that the land belonged to the state government,” Dr. Chaudhary explained. “However, Ayush Oak ignored this report and issued a wrongful order to enter the names of the tenants into the land records just two days before his transfer.”

Dr. Chaudhary highlighted the suspicious timing of Oak’s order and questioned his motives. “We believe that a huge corruption has been committed in this matter. The names of the tenants were entered under connivance to defraud the government,” he asserted.

The former Union Minister insisted that Ayush Oak’s role must be investigated immediately and that he should be suspended for his actions. “Ayush Oak wrongfully entered the names of the ganotiyas under the Ganot Dhara, overruling the 2015 report by the former district collector,” Dr. Chaudhary said. “This clear act of corruption and abuse of power cannot go unpunished.”

The demand for an SIT investigation underlines the gravity of the allegations and the necessity for transparency and accountability within government operations. Dr. Chaudhary’s call for action emphasizes the critical need to protect public property and ensure that officials adhere to ethical standards.

“Despite being in a constitutional post with the duty to preserve government property, Ayush Oak damaged the property of the government through his arbitrary and illegal actions,” Dr. Chaudhary added. “This case needs to be investigated thoroughly to ensure justice and to prevent such incidents in the future.”