The Gandiv Property case has progressed after a Varanasi court remanded Rachna Arora, Meera Arora, and Rajkumar Bajpai to judicial custody while rejecting their bail applications. The case arises from an alleged ₹3 crore property transaction involving Barkat Bhawan and claims of forged ownership documents, financial cheating, and criminal intimidation. According to the FIR, the complainant alleges that substantial payments were made before ownership disputes surfaced through municipal records. The allegations remain under investigation, and the matter is currently pending before the competent court.

Gandiv Property Fraud Case: Gandiv Newspaper Owner Rachna Arora, Meera Arora and Rajkumar Bajpai Sent to Judicial Custody

A Varanasi court has remanded Rachna Arora, Meera Arora, and Rajkumar Bajpai to judicial custody in an alleged multi-crore property fraud case linked to the historic evening daily Gandiv. The court also rejected their bail applications. The matter remains sub judice.

The Gandiv property fraud case has taken a significant turn after police arrested Rachna Arora, Meera Arora, and Rajkumar Bajpai in connection with an alleged multi-crore property transaction dispute in Varanasi. The accused were produced before the court of the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate, which remanded them to judicial custody while rejecting their bail pleas. The allegations remain under judicial consideration.

Gandeev (Gandiv) Once Held a Distinct Place in Varanasi Journalism

The evening newspaper Gandeev was once regarded as one of Varanasi’s most influential publications. Businesspersons, advocates, public representatives, government officials, and readers reportedly waited for its evening edition, making it a well-recognised name in the city’s media landscape.

According to available historical accounts, the newspaper was founded by Late Dr. Bhagwan Das Arora. Following the Partition, Dr. Arora settled in Varanasi, where he reportedly received support from senior physician and former MLA Dr. Kailash Tandon. Although he initially spoke Urdu, he later learned Hindi and established Gandeev as one of the city’s prominent evening newspapers.

Alleged ₹3 Crore Property Transaction at the Centre of Dispute

According to the First Information Report (FIR), complainant Anand Krishna Agrawal, a Banarasi saree businessman residing in Chowkhamha, was allegedly shown a property known as Barkat Bhawan located in Maldahiya for sale.

The complaint alleges that the property was represented as being owned by Meera Arora and Rachna Arora, with a sale consideration fixed at ₹3.20 crore. The complainant further alleged that he was informed the property had been mortgaged with a bank and would be released from the mortgage after repayment of the outstanding loan before execution of the sale deed.

As per the FIR, Anand Krishna Agrawal allegedly paid ₹10 lakh through cheque on 23 May 2025. Subsequently, he allegedly transferred ₹65 lakh and ₹75 lakh through RTGS on 10 June 2025, resulting in an online payment of ₹1.50 crore.

The complaint further alleges that a sale agreement was executed on a ₹500 stamp paper and that, after being shown an alleged bank no-dues certificate, another ₹1.50 crore in cash was paid at the Gandeev office on 10 August 2025, taking the total alleged payment to ₹3 crore.

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Municipal Records Allegedly Raised Ownership Questions

According to the FIR, after making the payments, the complainant allegedly sought the original ownership documents but did not receive them. A subsequent examination of records maintained by the Municipal Corporation reportedly raised questions about the property’s ownership.

The complainant has alleged that forged or fabricated documents were used to induce the transaction and that he was subsequently cheated of several crores of rupees. The complaint also alleges that when the money was demanded back, the accused abused and threatened him, following which a complaint was lodged with the Varanasi Police Commissionerate.

Police registered the case under Sections 316(2), 351(2), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following the investigation, police arrested Rachna Arora, Meera Arora, and Rajkumar Bajpai.

Court Rejects Bail Applications

The three accused were produced before the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate Krishna Kumar. After hearing the matter, the court remanded all three accused to judicial custody and rejected their bail applications.

Prosecution Officer Madhusudan Tiwari represented the prosecution during the proceedings.

The case is presently pending before the competent court. The allegations reported above are based on the FIR and the police investigation. The accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in accordance with law, and the final determination of the allegations will depend upon the evidence and the outcome of the judicial proceedings.

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Editorial Note:

This article is based on publicly available FIR records, court case references, and reports published by multiple media organisations. The information is presented in the context of ongoing investigations and public interest reporting. Sprouts News does not make any judicial determination regarding the individuals mentioned and does not intend to defame any person or organisation. Any individual seeking clarification or wishing to provide an official response may contact the editorial team with verifiable documentation. The information is presented for journalistic and informational purposes.