The Sub-Registrar of Kadayam in Tenkasi district has been placed under suspension for registering two irrigation tanks with an extent of over 200 acres and worth about ₹400 crore at Krishnapuram near Palayamkottai when he was Sub-Registrar of Murappanaadu Sub-Registrar Office.
Sources in the Department of Registration said an internal inquiry was ordered against S. Kumaresan, who allegedly registered Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam on ‘government kulam poramboke land in the name of an individual.
During investigation, the department officials found that Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam, each having an extent of 100 acres each, was acquired by a Palayamkottai-based family through fabricated documents. A dispute reportedly erupted among the family members over apportioning the ancestral property and one of the aggrieved parties approached the Lok Adalat. Even as the case was pending before the Lok Adalat, the parties involved in the case agreed for out-of-court settlement and submitted the copy of the resolution in the Lok Adalat.
While submitting the resolution in the Lok Adalat, the parties involved in this case included the survey numbers of Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam, cited as ‘government poramboke land’, along with other properties. When the Lok Adalat gave its consent to the resolution, one of the parties involved in the case approached Kumaresan, who was Sub-Registrar of Murappanaadu Sub-Registrar Office, on December 2, 2016 to register the properties, including the two tanks, in her name.
Kumaresan, who initially kept the registration documents pending “for want of more supporting documents”, registered it on December 29, 2016 along with Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam. Interestingly, both Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam were cited as ‘government poramboke land’ at the time of registration.
“When this illegal registration was inquired by the higher-ups in the Department of Registration, the registration of Paappaakulam and Sivalaarkulam worth about ₹400 crore in the name of an individual came to light,” the sources said.
Meanwhile, Kumaresan was posted as Sub-Registrar of Kadayam Sub-Registrar Office.
Based on the findings of the internal inquiry, Inspector General of Registration Dinesh Ponraj Oliver placed Kumaresan under suspension on Tuesday (February 6) under Rule 17 (e) of Tamil Nadu Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules until further orders.
“Kumaresan has been instructed to be at Kadayam during the period of suspension and should not leave Kadayam without obtaining prior permission of the authority concerned,” the suspension order says.
