A mason’s plot to evade charges to secure building permissions in Ameenpur village on Hyderabad outskirts has turned into a major scam, leaving unsuspecting house-owners on the wrong side of the law.
Ameenpur police of Medak district on Friday arrested seven persons, including a retired village secretary Thirumalaiah and neighbouring Kishtareddypet village ‘Karobar’ (temporary worker of gram panchayat), in the scam. “Five more accused, along with Ameenpur Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) member Anil Kumar, are absconding,” Ameenpur Inspector A. Ram Reddy said.
Seeds for the scam were sown when a mason-turned-builder P. Damoder wanted to secure permissions for the houses he had constructed in open plots in Ameenpur. Masons like him purchase open plots at cheaper price or soon after agricultural lands are made into plots when prices would be low.
“They begin constructions simultaneously and need building permissions and no objection certificates to sell them,” the Inspector explained. If they have to secure all documents related to permissions, charges towards lay-out regularisation, permission and no objection certificate need to be paid.
To avoid these charges and get permissions quicker, he approached MPTC member Anil Kumar. For two houses, the latter collected ₹ 90,000 each and gave permission letters and NOC to the mason. “For Damoder that amount was too heavy. So, he began searching for persons who could secure permissions for a lower amount,” the Inspector explained.
He stumbled upon some brokers who ganged up with ex-village secretary of Ameenpur Somnarayana (who was suspended on some charge) and retired village secretary Thirumalaiah.
Along with this gang, another group of brokers approached Kishtareddypet village panchayat Karobar K. Narsimhulu to create fake building permission letters and NOCs. These two bunches of brokers created fake certificates in the names of Somnarayana and Ameenpur village secretary Suvarna (presently working as village secretary of Kishtareddypet), the Inspector said.
Investigators identified so far 30 houses were built with such fake permissions. “Confessions of the arrested persons suggest there are at least 100 more houses constructed with fake permission letters,” they said.
