Firoz.T.Totanawala The Bangalore Metro Reporter THE BLANK KHATHA CERTIFICATE! BBMP RR NAGAR ZONE- 1, KENGERI ARO OFFICE THE DULY SIGNED BLANK KHATHA FOR PROPERTY REGISTRATION

Firoz.T.Totanawala

The Bangalore Metro Reporter

THE BLANK KHATHA CERTIFICATE!          

BBMP RR NAGAR ZONE- 1, KENGERI ARO OFFICE THE DULY SIGNED BLANK KHATHA FOR PROPERTY REGISTRATION

The Kengeri ARO office in BBMP’s RR Nagar Zone is undoubtedly No.1 in BBMP for having the highest number of fraudsters who masquerade as officials. A Group of four officials which includes case workers Lingaraju, Madhu, Revenue Inspector Shivanna and ARO Puttanna (now retired) have excelled in the art of creating bogus BBMP records. During the regime of K.M.Ramachandran as the Joint Commissioner, the Group of four had played havoc by creating bogus records to hundreds of revenue sites and lands. Even now the ‘racket’ is still being continued.... 

Just take a look at the ‘blank’ Khatha certificate duly signed and stamped by K.S.Puttanna who was the ARO of Kengeri Sub Zone. Well, with the blank Khatha certificate duly signed by the official, you can register any property under RR Nagar zone in your name. No joke, but you can even register the BBMP of RR Nagar itself in your name! 

 Puttanna has retired few months back. But even now, one can get such ‘blank’ khatha certificates, ‘blank’ extracts and duly signed certificates in the custody of case workers Lingaraju, Madhu and Revenue Inspector Shivanna. It is to be recalled that fearing that his fraud may put him into trouble, Shivanna had taken transfer to Herohalli Sub Zone. 

 Very recently, the Revenue Officer in RR Nagar Zone Chandrashekar seized a brand ‘new’ duplicate Property Register from Madhu, the case worker. The register was full of bogus entries and there is no chance of detecting whether the register is original or bogus one. Even though the property ledgers and other connected original records should be in the personal custody of the ARO, even today, one can allegedly see that the registers are with the case workers and sometimes with Revenue Inspectors. This has given enough room for these officials to make bogus entries to revenue sites, revenue lands and even government lands for the areas which were brought under BBMP. The revenue records of villages and CMC areas too were handed over to BBMP. 

 The case workers makes entries in the Village Property Register and on the basis of such bogus entries, they make the entries in BBMP Register and later issue khathas. While lakhs of revenue site owners are waiting for regularisation of their properties under the yet to be cleared Akrama-Sakrama, for people who own revenue properties in Kengeri Sub Zone, it is very easy. Just pay the alleged ‘demand’ between 50 thousand to few lakhs depending on the size, and the fraudsters will do the rest and provide ‘pucca’ BBMP records. 

 Puttanna, the ARO is an easy man and as he is not of demanding nature. Allegedly, they pay him few hundreds and pocket the thousands. Puttanna had come into serious trouble earlier and was even suspended. At one point of time, he was allegedly made to sign the khathas for revenue sites in Sachindanagar coming under ARO (RR Nagar Sub Zone) even though there is an ARO for RR Nagar! Even after his retirement, few months back the fraudsters are using Puttanna to sign blank certificates without even the date, so that they can fill the certificate and ante date it. The blank khatha certificate (See box) is just the tip of the ice berg. In fact, Madhu, the case worker for Kengeri ward has allegedly ‘maintained’ a parallel property Register also. In one case, Madhu had given bogus entries to 30 acres of land in Halagenadevahalli and huge apartments are coming up. In Kodipalya, he had given more than 40 entries. Shivanna had provided entries to more than 200 revenue properties in Vajrahalli. Lingaraju is a law unto himself. 

 For the entire illegal racket, they use the services of Puttanna to sign the blank registers and certificates as ARO and stamping it. Recently, the Revenue Officer Chandrashekhar has caught hold of a bogus register maintained by Madhu, which has explosive facts. But the Group of three (excluding Puttanna) allegedly have managed to manage the RO in not taking further action. Already the free site scam is being investigated by the BMTF in which Shivanna was the architect. 

 No doubt, the Group of three has a good nexus. Puttanna who is retired will have to face the music as most of the thousands of bogus entries were certified by him as ARO. Interestingly, this Group has a couple of people who work as collection agents. Because of the fear of Lokayukta raid, they do not take money during office hours and these ‘agents’ collect the money and keep it with them till they go home. 

 Shockingly, in the recent event of the RO seizing the bogus register from Mahdu, no action was initiated in this regard. It is allegedly said that Madhu had paid to manage the RO. Needless to say that there are payments to the DC and JC too. 

 It is time; the BMTF should have a “look” at the Kengeri ARO office and the frauds by the Group of four. 

That is all.