Police told to book Chennai realty company over government land scam

Hyderabad: The Ranga Reddy district revenue authorities on Tuesday asked the police to file criminal cases against State Bank of India (SBI) officials concerned and the Chennai-based construction company JKS Constructions Pvt Ltd with regard to raising loan mortgaging prime government land in Survey No 36 of Gopanapally.

Reacting to news item “Government lands mortgaged by Chennai firm” published in these columns on Monday, Ranga Reddy collector Amoy Kumar directed the officials concerned to take immediate action to stop the proposed auction of five acres mortgaged by JCPL. Accordingly, Rajendranagar revenue divisional officer (RDO) K. Chandrakala wrote to Gachibowli station house officer to book the firm for mortgaging the government land and SBI officials for sanctioning loan without verification of records and possession.

Sources told this newspaper that the collector would recommend to the government to order a criminal investigation department inquiry into the fraudulent act that resulted not only in mortgaging the government land but also loss of crores of rupees to the premium banker of the country. The collector will also write to the SBI to immediately stop the auction of the land.

Chandrakala gave a detailed report to the collector and police on how the government is the rightful owner of the land. She said as per Sethwar, the entire 460 acres in Survey No 36 was classified as government land. The government subsequently allotted about 125 acres to the landless poor but resumed the same in 2004 when it was noticed that the assignees illegally sold the land and were not in possession of the same.

The RDO maintained that the government took possession of land way back in 2004 besides prohibiting its registration by private parties. The bank officials ought not to have sanctioned loan taking mortgages of the government land in the subsequent years, she pointed out.