Case filed against 28 parties for causing govt loss

GURUGRAM: Under orders from a local court, the Gurugram police on Thursday registered a case against 28 parties, including private developers and Manesar revenue officials, for allegedly fudging records and causing a loss of over ₹5 crore to the state exchequer.

According to the police, 53 sale deeds were executed between 2009 and 2013 with reduced stamp duty for land in Sihi and Kherki Daula villages of Manesar Tehshil. The accused in the case include 14 developers, six tehsildars, five registry clerks and four computer operators of the Manesar revenue office. No arrests have been made in the case till now.

The case was registered at the Manesar police station. KK Rao, commissioner of police, said they will form an special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the scam. “The local police is currently investigating the case. Once the report is submitted we will plan next plan of action,” said Rao.

The matter was brought to light after a man named Ramesh Yadav brought to the notice of a district court alleging that the records were manipulated to show that Sihi village land was out of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) jurisdiction to avail reduced the stamp duty on the transaction.

Sihi village was brought under the MCG jurisdiction in 2009. For sale of land under the civic body, one will have to pay a stamp duty of 7% of the total value of land as per the prevalen circle rate in the area, rather than the 5% outside.

According to documents Yadav produced before the court, many other properties in Sihi village were registered after paying 7% stamp duty, while the 53 properties in question were registered by charging 5% stamp duty.