In one of the biggest detections of registration of sites illegally in Bengaluru, authorities have found over 700 gram thana sites registered by two sub-registrars who allegedly subverted registration rules.
Revenue Department officials and those dealing in real estate say that it is the tip of the iceberg and such cases are rampant, especially on the outskirts of the city.
The sites in Hesarghatta and Yelahanka hoblis in Yelahanka taluk in Bengaluru Urban districts were illegally registered without obtaining computerised Form 9 and Form 11 A or 11 B. As many as 731 sites were registered in the Kacharakanahalli sub-registrar’s office between June 28 and July 5, 2021.
Between March 1 and June 21, 2021, it was also found that 256 properties were kept in abeyance without the 18 digit e-Khata number for rural properties issued by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj. This was discovered based on a complaint and a departmental inquiry.
No valid documents
“While large-scale illegal registration has been detected in Kacharakanahalli sub registrar’s office, it is a menace on the outskirts of Bengaluru as well as other places in Karnataka. There are complaints that properties without valid documents including that of land conversion are being registered in violation of the rules that are made to protect the buyers,” a Revenue Department source told The Hindu .
It is learnt that the sub-registrars deliberately did not seek information on properties online from the e-Swathu portal of RDPR, violating government orders issued in 2013 and 2014. They did not even seek computerised Form 9 and Form 11 A or 11 B that carries the digital signature of the panchayat development officer, which was in violation of the government orders.
“It is a criminal case and an FIR can be filed. The RDPR Department will have to cancel it to prevent the already registered sites from being illegally sold again,” another senior Revenue official said.
The sites coming under gram panchayats were registered without insisting on the sale deed, which is mandatory for registration under the KAVERI-e Swathu integration to prevent such frauds. “The fact that 256 documents for property registration was kept in abeyance for the appearance of the party raises suspicion. To prevent it from the KAVERI-eSwathu softwares, the property type was chosen as Bhoomi/Agriculture land,” said the order that has kept the two sub registrars under suspension pending inquiry.
In green belt
According to real estate consultant K. Ramesh, though it is illegal, it is also quite common in Bengaluru that sites without proper documents are being registered. “Thousands of sites on the outskirts of Bengaluru, including those in the green belt, are being registered. The green belt is shown as the extension of the village for the purpose of registration. Without verification of e-Khata, registration should not be done,” he said.
Inspector-General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps K.P. Mohan Raj was not available for comment.
