Kendrapara civil court. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, Aug. 9: Three persons were arrested for forging land records and producing them in courts to secure bail for undertrial prisoners.

The police alleged that the gang members used to “manufacture fake land records”. As the courts often ask for deposit of surety and security while granting bail to undertrials, the gang members used to supply their fake documents.

“We arrested three persons — Abhimanyu Sahu, Rajani Pradhan and Ramakanta Behera — after they had produced fake land records at a local court to bail out an accused. They tried to mislead the court by submitting fake records,” said Premsagar Panda, inspector, Kendrapara police station.

It is suspected that apart from using fake records to bail out undertrial prisoners, bogus land records have also been used to avail loans from nationalised banks. The police are interrogating the three to find out the extent of their network.

“We are looking for some more people who are part of the racket,” said inspector Panda.

The land records prepared by them have striking resemblance with original records.

Last year, as many as 114 applicants, who had applied for loan from a nationalised bank here, were found to have submitted fake land records.

The authorities of the nationalised bank have also sanctioned loan against some of them on the basis of the forged land records.

The bankers had later lodged an FIR at the local police station which had led to the arrest of three loan applicants.