CHENNAI : Landed properties owned by rightful owners and legal heirs, especially in the southern parts of the city, continue to be targets for land grab gangs that employ money and muscle to achieve their end.

One of the main triggers for the increase in such incidents has been the steep rise in prices of land in the last two to three years. This, coupled with extended absence of owners of prime properties in the city, is fuelling such crimes.

According to Central Crime Branch (land grab wing), till March 2007, over 300 complaints have come in from the public. While in 2005, 330 complaints were recorded, the number of complaints was over 775 in 2006.

Vacant housing plots in areas like Velachery, Pallikaranai, Madipakkam and along the ECR and OMR stretches are soft targets for the grabbers, police say.

Besant Nagar

A fresh attempt to grab two grounds of vacant plot at the posh Besant Nagar Rukmani Road on Thursday is an example of the methods adopted by gangs and the hassles faced by genuine owners when someone stakes a rival claim.

In response to an appeal for help by the victim, a woman, Commissioner of Police Letika Saran, despatched a police team that arrested eight persons and posted pickets. However, the legal heirs of the property are now forced to establish their rights since the encroachers claimed to be in possession of a general power of attorney for the property.

According to a senior police officer, there has been a steady rise in land grabbing cases; whenever it was brought to their notice, action was initiated, he said. In the Besant Nagar case, police have registered a case of attempt to murder against the accused, he added.

However, the issue does not end here.

According to many victims, they had to run from pillar to post to prove that their title deeds are genuine and establish that they continued to enjoy the property.

Pending cases

A woman victim in Velachery owned a 2,400 square feet vacant site in VGP Housing Colony. When she was informed that someone had started building activity on the site, she rushed to the police seeking justice. The buyer (a local builder) claimed to have purchased the site after paying Rs 83 lakh from a seller who had produced a general power of attorney. The case is under investigation.

Another woman entrepreneur residing in Madhavaram High Road was threatened by a gang to part with her property for a price, failing which it would be forcibly taken over. The police have registered a case, but the woman says she is unable to enter her own property.

Demolition squad

In December 2006, a woman entrepreneur's rented property in Perungudi was razed to the ground by a 100-member demolition squad, which allegedly took over the six grounds claiming to be the rightful owners. That case is also under investigation.

Apart from land grabbing, complaints of usurping of properties using forged documents in neighbouring districts are also increasing, police said.

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