Deccan Chronicle

SC bail to two accused in Miyapur land scam

Sharks eyeing 3,000 acres, investigat­ors warn TS

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Investigat­ions into the Miyapur land registrati­on scam have thrown up evidence of other land scams in the making. The investigat­ing officials have alerted the government about possible land scams in Batasingar­am (Hayathnaga­r mandal), Ghatkesar mandal, on the outskirts of the city, Ramachandr­apuram, Yapral and Shamshabad, if the government fails to take swift action to nip irregulari­ties in the bud.

Some 3,000 acres of government land is at risk in these areas and being targeted by land grabbers. While some land parcels have already been registered, others are pending with sub-registrar offices.

The scam alert assumes significan­ce in the backdrop of the Telangana state cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss land scams and measures to be taken to reclaim government lands and to protect government lands from encroachme­nts in future.

Land grabbers have targeted government land, assigned land, jagir, and evacuee/enemy property by creating forged documents.

“The modus operandi of these land grabbers is that they obtained GPAs for the land through forged documents and get them registered. They bribe revenue officials and sub-registrars and get these registered lands incorporat­ed under Record of Rights (RoRs), get the mutations done and obtain pattas and title deeds. They have now started selling these lands to others and creating multiple sale deed documents and approachin­g the courts claiming ownership with the registered documents,” an official source informed.

The investigat­ions have revealed that some documents have already been registered but are awaiting RoR approval and mutations from the revenue department.

“The government should immediatel­y direct revenue officials in these mandals not to go ahead with RoR or and PVS Sharma, granted the bail.

Both petitioner­s moved the Supreme Court after dismissal of their bail applicatio­ns by the Hyderabad High Court on June 14, 2017.

The Kukatpally police have registered cases against the petitioner­s regarding alleged illegal registrati­on of government lands using forged and fabricated documents and both the petitioner­s were arrested and sent for judicial remand.

The High Court mutation, which will give land ownership rights to the land grabbers, making it difficult for the government to reclaim the land later. The government will have to fight a long battle in the courts to reclaim these lands once RoR and mutation is done,” the source added.

Another illegal method is to buy private land adjacent to government land and refused bail to the petitioner­s on the grounds that they might hamper the ongoing probe.

The petitioner­s contended before the Supreme Court that their alleged acts of illegal registrati­on have not caused any loss to the government and the government has also admitted that its land is intact, and continuing them in judicial remand will cause irreparabl­e injury to them. While considerin­g their argument, the bench granted them bail. encroach onto the government land by constructi­ng compound walls and small structures on it and deploy private security to guard these lands.

Some 600 property transactio­ns done through forged documents are awaiting clearance at sub-registrar and revenue offices for registrati­on and mutation and they need to be stopped immediatel­y.

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