Court thwarts bid to grab 15 acre Khanamet lands

Hyderabad: Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka of the Telangana high court on Tuesday directed the director general of police (DGP) to constitute a special investigation team (SIT), headed by an IPS officer of the rank of additional commissioner, to probe the alleged fabrication of land records pertaining to 15 acres in three different survey numbers at Khanamet near Serilingampally in Hyderabad.The probe will also examine the role of revenue and other officials in the creation and use of those documents. According to market sources, the total value of the disputed land is estimated at around ₹1,000 crore.The judge directed the SIT to submit its findings to the chief secretary and principal secretary, Revenue Department, within four weeks. The court also dismissed the writ petition filed by Ittina Properties, which claimed ownership of the land, and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh, directing the firm to deposit the amount in the chief minister’s relief fund, while dismissing all pending connected petitions and granting liberty to the petitioner firm to pursue remedies under civil law.Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of govt officials, observing that despite clear indications that documents had been fabricated, authorities remained mute spectators and failed to initiate action against those responsible.According to the petitioners, Ittina Properties, they got ownership over the lands through sale deeds executed in 2006. “These lands were originally assigned to ex-servicemen, and later their predecessors acquired them through sale deeds and have been in possession for decades. However, govt agencies are attempting to dispossess us of the said lands and auction them as govt property,” they alleged, adding that they had also submitted patta documents as proof of ownership.The state govt and the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation opposed the claim, maintaining that the land formed part of govt property and that the assignment documents relied upon by the petitioners were bogus.“The patta certificates, which, according to the petitioners, affirm their ownership of the said lands, bear the seal of the Tahsildar, Rajendranagar, even though that office was established only in 1978, while the certificates were purportedly issued in 1972 and 1973,” the authorities pointed out.The court accepted this contention and held that the patta certificates produced by the petitioner were forged.The court also found another set of proceedings dated Aug 5, 1993, purportedly issued under the Record of Rights Act by a “Recording Officer” of UDRI, Serilingampally, to be fabricated. “The author of this document, P Narsimha Rao, was not the Tahsildar and had no authority to issue such proceedings. Moreover, there was never an official with that name in that position,” the court noted.Holding that forged documents cannot confer title even to their predecessors, the court observed that the attempt was aimed at grabbing valuable govt land and dismissed the petition.