Karnataka Chief Secretary created new file to transfer land to his mother
Bengaluru: Incriminating documents as well as a WhatsApp chat in possession of Deccan Chronicle clearly show that Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav misused his office to pursue a land transfer to his mother's name after creating a new file on grant of land, which made the state poorer by 65 acres of land, and crores of rupees!
DC was sent a screen shot of a WhatsApp chat that shows Mr. Jadhav directing officials to work towards creating a new file where none existed. He is seen pulling up Bhoomi Monitoring Cell officials, calling them lethargic for not doing his work. All the more shocking is the fact that he created a chat group that included the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner, Asst Commissioner and a tahsildar on June 22 this year.
The creation of a grant file is the central point of the entire land scam. The grant file is a source file. It also contains the survey (village) sketch, Kharda, Akarbandh and village map (crucial documents that establishes the origin and ownership of land).
“If this file goes missing, then you cannot establish the ownership,” sources explained, adding “So a new file was created in the Deputy Commissioner's office to show the legitimacy of title to the previous owner to pave way for creating an RTC in Jadhav's mother's name.”
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Around 43 private persons have benefited in the land grab scam. If they were truly 43 claimants there should have been 43 files pertaining to Survey 29. How can 43 files go missing?
The loss to the exchequer shouldn’t be discounted — for Jadhav to get 8.3 acres in Ramanayakanahalli, 42 other private parties have also pocketed as much as 58 acres where the cost of land is easily about Rs 8 crore per acre! There is no information on these 42 parties except their names. Their files have gone missing and a new file has been created, sources said.
Complaint with ACB against chief Secretary, three others
A private complaint was filed on Wednesday against Chief Secretary Aravind Jadhav, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Urban District, Shankar, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Anekal Division and the tahsildar of Anekal, under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988, and Indian Penal Code by an RTI activist S. Bhaskaran.
The activist, who filed the case with the ADGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau, accused the officials for indulging in forgery, manipulation of government documents, illegal transfer of government land, nepotism and use of office to favour the Chief Secretary’s family.
“Chief Secretary Aravind Jadhav has used his clout among officials of the revenue department to make them issue the RTC for survey number 29 of Ramanayakanahalli village in Sarjapura Hobli in Anekal Taluk illegally by creating another survey number 29/1. The allegation is that the tahsildar has used an RTC in the name of the Chief Secretary’s mother without a valid Podi and Akarbandh which is against the rules, regulations and guidelines of Karnataka Land Revenue Act. It is also being tipped off that the chief secretary’s mother has already sold the property to another individual, which is in stark contrast to Section 192/A of the Land Revenue Act 1964 which says government land should not be sold,” Mr Bhaskaran stated in his complaint.
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He filed the complaint based on media reports and a document – Record of Rights, Tenancy and Crop Inspection (RTC) which he has accessed through RTI and has urged ADGP K.V. Gagandeep, the chief of ACB, to register an FIR against the four officials.
ACB raids Deputy Commissioner’s office
Immediately after the complaint was lodged by the RTI activist, ACB officials swung into action and conducted raids at the offices of Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Urban District and assistant commissioner in charge of Anekal Division in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The raids were led by Mr Labhu Ram, SP, Anti-Corruption Bureau. The sleuths have reportedly seized a large number of documents.
