Lokayukta busts major Govt. land forgery racket

• Srirangapatna ADLR absconding; officials shared login credentials to facilitate fraud
• Misused Mojini software; forged land records for nearly 200 acres; Nine arrested

Srirangapatna: In a clear case of the fence eating the crop, Mandya district Lokayukta Police busted a forgery racket involving officers of the Survey, Settlement and Land Records Department in Srirangapatna taluk, who allegedly granted Government land to those willing to grease their palms.

What is shocking is that the Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR), a Government official, is suspected to be the kingpin, running the racket with the help of his trusted colleagues, besides hiring his confidant as outsourced staff.

While ADLR of Srirangapatna Mohammed Hussain has gone absconding, his nine trusted accomplices — outsourced staff member Nitin Premanand Mahale, Survey Supervisor Yogaraj and Surveyors Arvind, Jayaboregowda, Dayanand, Madhu, Ramesh, Harish and Nisha Sarika — have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody following the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).

The FIR was filed based on a complaint lodged by Lokayukta Police Inspector B.P. Byatarayana Gowda.

Sharing user ID and password

The seven surveyors had shared the user ID and password of the Mojini software with Hussain, besides forwarding him the One-Time Passwords (OTPs) received on their mobile phones.

Interestingly, Hussain was allegedly creating digital Akarbandh records illegally using the Mojini software. During the Lokayukta probe, it also emerged that Hussain and the other officers were collectively paying Rs. 15,000 per month from their own pockets to Mahale. The scam came to light after Nagendra, a resident of Mahadevapura Gram Panchayat limits in Srirangapatna, brought the matter to the notice of Upa Lokayukta-2 Justice B. Veerappa recently.

200 acres of Government land

Nagendra alleged that khata, sale deed, RTC and other records were being created for about 200 acres of Government land in Survey No. 411 in Mahadevapura Gram Panchayat limits.

He also named Srirangapatna Tahsildar Chetana Yadav, Pandavapura Assistant Commissioner Srinivas, Srirangapatna ADLR Mohammed Hussain and Mahadevapura Gram Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) G.R. Nagendra for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent activity.

Subsequently, a complaint was registered and notices were issued to the officers named in the complaint, directing them to appear for an inquiry. During the initial stage of the inquiry, investigators suspected foul play and obtained a search warrant from Upa Lokayukta-2.  Four separate teams were constituted to search the offices and residences of the Assistant Commissioner, Tahsildar, ADLR and the Panchayat Development Officer of Mahadevapura Gram Panchayat.

During the search operation, it was found that Mahale, a private individual, had been hired by ADLR Hussain himself. Shockingly, Mahale was found to be in possession of key office records.

During the raids, Hussain and Mahale were found to be sharing rented accommodation in Shivarathreeshwara Nagar, Bannimantap in Mysuru.

Rubber stamps (Seals) and records belonging to various offices were recovered from them, including the Land Records Manual Book bearing the signature of the Supervisor of the Hunsur Taluk Office; three seals and an ink pad belonging to the Office Superintendent, ADLR Office, Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district; seals of Land Surveyors K.N. Ramesh, K.S. Devaraj and D.S. Girish; the Supervisor of Hunsur Taluk Office; the Land Surveyor of Mulbagal taluk in Kolar district and the Tahsildar, Land Survey, Sakleshpur taluk, besides records relating to its surveyor.

Unexplained bank transactions

Cash amounting to Rs. 1,40,200 was also recovered. As the duo failed to give a convincing explanation for the cash, it was seized. Verification of Mahale’s bank account also revealed transactions involving several lakhs of rupees.

While Hussain hails from Dakshina Kannada, Mahale is from  Bhatkal, Uttara Kannada district. Wherever Hussain was posted, he allegedly took Mahale along and appointed him as outsourced staff using his discretionary powers, enabling him to carry out his illegal activities with ease. 

Hussain had previously served in Sakleshpur in Hassan district and Hunsur in Mysuru district, where Mahale had also worked alongside him. The Lokayukta team was led by Mandya Lokayukta Superintendent of Police (SP) S. Suresh Babu, along with Dy.SP H.T. Suneel Kumar and Inspectors M. Ravikumar, B.P. Byatarayana Gowda and R.G. Lepaksha Murthy.