It could be termed as a pyrrhic victory for the Tangadagis.
Deputy Commissioner Thulasi Maddineni cancelled a land registration in the name of Nagaraj Tangadagi, younger brother of Minor Irrigation Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, just before she was transferred.
It all began around one-and-a-half years ago when Nagaraj Tangadagi, younger brother Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, started constructing a bungalow on 36 guntas of land in survey no. 322/1/2 of Karatagi village in Gangavati taluk of the district. G. Ram Mohan, a resident of the same village, lodged a complaint with Deputy Commissioner against Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi.
Mr. Ram Mohan’s objection was that Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi had encroached upon 21 guntas of his land for constructing the bungalow. After verifying the documents, the Deputy Commissioner stayed the construction, which was subsequently challenged in the Karnataka High Court by Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi. The High Court, which initially stayed the Deputy Commissioner’s order, later disposed of the petition by ordering that the issue settled at the district magistrate’s court.
When the matter came back to Ms. Maddineni, the Tangadagis who sensed that they may not get a favourable order allegedly started making efforts to get her transferred out of Koppal. Ms. Maddineni received her transfer order on June 27, 2013 and Govinda Reddy was posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner until further orders. It appears that Ms. Maddineni too was expecting the transfer.
Order upheld
Before accepting her transfer order, she disposed of the case the same day by upholding the order of the Deputy Director of Land Records , Koppal, which had rejected Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi’s claim of ownership on the land where he was constructing a bungalow.
According to it, Veeresh, son of Shivarudrappa, and Veerabhadrappa, son of Shivarudrappa were, and not Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi, the owners of that land.
Ms. Maddineni also cited the Supreme Court’s order in the Subhaga & Others vs. Shobha & Others case while passing the order.Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi claimed that he had purchased the land from Neelavva and that he was the legal owner of the land.
But the Deputy Commissioner’s final order read: “A person cannot sell what is not owned by him. Since Neelavva was not owning land in Survey no. 322/1/2, it was not possible to sell that land.”
The order also held officials of the Gangavati taluk office responsible for creation of fake documents in favour of Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi.
Expressing happiness over the Deputy Commissioner’s order, Mr. Ram Mohan told The Hindu: “I always believed in the law of the land. I had hoped that justice would prevail, and I am happy with the Deputy Commissioner’s order. ” Attempts by this correspondent to contact Ms. Maddineni and Mr. Nagaraj Tangadagi did not bear fruit.
