Bene Israel community fight to save historic Jabalpur cemetery from land grab, desecration

The historic Jewish cemetery in Jabalpur, India, faces a significant threat from alleged land grabbers, prompting a legal battle by the dwindling Bene Israel community. The cemetery, the sole Jewish burial site in the Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh region, has reportedly suffered repeated damage, including desecrated graves and broken boundary walls, according to Indian media reports.

Once home to 200 Jewish families, Jabalpur now has only a handful of Jewish residents. The cemetery, allotted by the British government in the early 1900s and spanning approximately 5,000 square feet, contains over 100 graves. An elderly Jewish resident, Daniel Abraham, discovered the damage in 2021 and filed a petition against local resident Lakhan Kevat, accusing him of attempting to encroach on the land.

“

Lakhan Kevat and his son, Shashank Kevat, who live in the area, are attempting to seize the cemetery land. They have also damaged several memorial stones placed on the graves in an effort to erase the evidence and identifying markers.

Authorities initially confirmed the land's status as cemetery property. In April 2025, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) court ruled in favor of the Jewish community, ordering the restoration of possession and prohibiting Kevat from interfering. However, Kevat challenged this decision in the district court, which upheld the SDM's order. He has now escalated the matter to the High Court, filing a petition on June 3, 2026, and asserting legal documentation of ownership.

Advocate Manish Verma, representing the Jewish community, stated that Kevat and his son are attempting to seize the cemetery land and have damaged memorial stones to erase identifying markers. Despite previous court rulings protecting the community's rights, the 'land mafia' continues to claim the property as private, leading to further court hearings.

“

Despite this, with the intention of taking over the land, the land mafia are claiming that it is private property and have taken the matter to the High Court. The case will now proceed through further court hearings.