Sub-Registrar of L.B. Nagar Madishetty Ravinder, who was accused of helping a history-sheeter to illegally occupy the house of an octogenarian -- who was eventually murdered in March this year -- using fake documents while working at Chikkadpally two years ago, was arrested on Monday.
The house owner, A.S. Ram Prasad, 87, was allegedly killed by Sandeep Chaudhary, who has a history sheet in Humayunnagar police station, and his aide Pavan.
The senior citizen, who had retired from the State-run RTC, had no children. After his wife’s death, he was living in the house spread over 500 square yards at Jawaharnagar in Chikkadpally. On learning that the elderly person wanted to sell his house, Chaudhary met him on the premise of buying it.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chaudhary and Pavan went to the old man’s house several times and allegedly stole his cheque books.
“With forged signatures, they withdrew nearly Rs.10 lakh from three of his bank accounts,” the Central Crime Station sleuths probing the case said.
The senior citizen suspected their complicity and warned them that he would sound the police if they failed to return his money. Chaudhary agreed to return the money.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Prasad, however, failed to notice that the duo also stole link documents of his house,” a police official said. Making use of these papers, they approached Mr. Ravinder, who was then working as Chikkadpally Sub-Registrar in January 2010.
They told him that they were buying the house but the owner cannot come to the Sub-Registrar office as he was bed-ridden.
Accordingly, an attender was sent there. Chaudhary and Pavan ensured that the retired man fell asleep by allegedly giving him tea laced with sedatives.
“They paid Rs. 25,000 bribe to the attender and got the documents signed by Chaudhary’s friend Shiva in the place of house owner,” the police said.
When the signatures didn’t tally, the Sub-Registrar didn’t release the registered documents.
Meanwhile, Prasad himself went to the Sub-Registrar’s office and got the house registered in his brother-in-law’s name.
Relevant documents were also issued.
Getting wind of this, Chaudhary and Pavan allegedly smothered Prasad in his house on the intervening night of March 6-7. Later, they ensured that the house was registered in their names by paying Rs.7 lakh to the Sub-Registrar.
They later took possession of the house.
Police officials said Ravinder was arrested for helping Chaudhary and Pavan to occupy the house, after it was registered in the name of the relative of Prasad.
Meanwhile, the murder case is also being investigated into, but no arrests have been made so far.