The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Crimes related to property transactions on the rise Law & order

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Tuesday, Nov 27, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Crimes related to property transactions on the rise Law & order

Streamlining the Registration Department and speeding up issuing of licences to real estate dealers are some of the steps need to check such incidents, says Rajesh B. Nair

It seems that there is no let up in crimes related to property transaction in the Union Territory.

The CB-CID wing of the Puducherry Police last week arrested two persons, including the son of a prominent leader of a political party, for allegedly cheating several individuals by forging documents. They were also arrested on charges of sale of land in excess of land acquired and disposing it even after cancellation of the power of attorney.

The police launched the investigation on the orders of the District Collector following a complaint he received from G. Kiruba Shankar, a resident of Vysial Street. In his petition, Mr. Shankar had stated that his move to construct a house in a plot he bought at Saram was opposed by three persons. When he inquired, the opposing party also claimed ownership of the land.

Investigations into the case revealed that the accused Ramesh Babu, a resident of Vysial Street who is the brother of the complainant, and Jawahar, who resides in Pajanaimadam Street, had allegedly connived together and through forged documents sold 18708 square feet of land to around eight persons.

It was found that Ramesh Babu had purchased 4739 square feet of land from the same person his brother bought and sold to individuals an extent of 8400 square feet. He also gave the power of attorney on the same property to Jawahar. Investigation revealed that the power of attorney on the land given to Jawahar was cancelled immediately. However, Jawahar sold 2352 square feet of land to one person alone, personnel in the CB-CID told The Hindu.

Several cases have been filed against the duo under sections of Indian Penal Code for cheating and breach of trust.

Sources in the investigation wing informed that they were probing the involvement of registering officers and document writers in the Revenue Department in the entire transaction. Inquiry into “the concerned registering officers and document writers” was one of the directions given by the Collector, sources added.

In the recent times, several cases of forgery in property transactions and land grabbing incidents had surfaced with a few political parties calling for a probe into the functioning of the land registration department.

They had also alleged the involvement of rowdy elements in property transaction. More than 50 complaints on land disputes were pending before the Revenue Department, sources said.

Some of the investigating officers pointed out that “the real problem was with the functioning of the registration department.” Investigations into the functioning of the department in past had been knee-jerk, said a retired police officer who has dealt with such cases.

“Without some sort of assistance from persons inside the department, most of the illegal transactions would not have happened. At least in cases related to forged documents,” he pointed out.

The incidents of crime related to property transaction and land grabbing have a direct bearing on the prevailing law and order situation, says a senior police officer. He further said that many rowdy elements have entered the real estate business and have established political connections.

Police officers said some of the rowdy elements in the “most wanted list of Puducherry Police” such as Thesthan and Vellai Guna, work for real estate dealers and their middle men. They have amassed huge wealth in “acting as mediators in solving disputes over forged document cases,” besides through land grabbing, said a senior officer.

Though several steps were being taken by the Revenue Department including computerisation of land records and survey and land record details online, what needs to be done is the streamlining of the registration department and a proper system in place to monitor the work of document writers. Besides, the government should speed up the process to issue licences to real estate dealers.

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