Surat Builder Arif Dada Accused of Land Record Tampering to gain farmer status

Surat : The Kunda family, one of Surat’s most prominent and respected families within the Memon community, is at the center of a serious controversy. Builder Arif Haji Sattar Kunda, widely known as Arif Dada, and his family are accused of tampering with land records to fraudulently gain farmer status and acquire agricultural land in and around Surat.

Complaint Filed by Social Activist

Social activist Sakir Shaikh, also known as Mastan, has formally lodged a complaint with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and the Surat District Collector. The complaint alleges that the Kunda family illegally altered revenue records of agricultural land to falsely register themselves as farmers. Shaikh has demanded the repossession of these lands and the initiation of criminal proceedings against the accused.

Allegations of Record Tampering

The land in question, located in Tadkeshwar village of Mandvi taluka, Surat, was originally owned by members of the Dawoodi Bohra community, Ibrahim and Fatma Metar. According to the complaint, revenue records were manipulated to include the name “Sattar Haji Hasim” in a different handwriting alongside the legitimate owners’ names. This tampered record reportedly became the basis for granting farmer status to Sattar Haji Hasim and, subsequently, his family members, including Arif, Amin, Shabbir, and Zubair Kunda.

Further investigations into the handwritten entries from 1968-1988 revealed that “Sattar Haji Hasim” was added much later, raising suspicions of forgery. The original records from 1938 to 1968 do not mention the Kunda family or their ancestors as landowners.

Questionable Land Purchases

The Kunda family has allegedly used their fraudulently obtained farmer status to purchase several agricultural plots, including 21,000 square meters in Popada village on January 18, 2011. Documentation presented during these transactions referenced tampered land records from Tadkeshwar and Choryasi talukas.

In one notable instance, a widow named Hazarabai and her sons, including Arif and Amin, presented these falsified records to claim inheritance rights. The complaint highlights that this inheritance was then used to justify further land purchases, even though the family lacks a legitimate farming background in their native Dhoraji taluka of Rajkot.

Evidence and Investigations

Records from Tadkeshwar reveal that the land was originally given to minors Ibrahim and Fatma Metar in 1946, under the guardianship of Sarabibi Ismail Wadiwala. The complaint alleges that the name “Sattar Haji Hasim” was unlawfully added in subsequent years, with forged entries certified by unauthorized individuals.

Online revenue records still reflect the original owners’ names up to 1968. However, handwritten records from 1968 to 1988 show suspicious alterations. After Sattar Haji Hasim’s death in 1988, his widow and five sons reportedly transferred these fraudulent land claims into their names and continued acquiring agricultural plots across Gujarat.

Call for Legal Action

Social activist Shaikh has called for the appointment of a special investigative team to probe the alleged forgery and illegal transactions. He has also requested that Gujarat’s district collectors and taluka offices be informed to prevent further misuse of the manipulated documents. The demand includes criminal action against those who tampered with the revenue records to falsely claim farmer status.