HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad deputy commissioner has asked the ADC-I to comply with the commissioner’s directive regarding insertion of a restriction note in the record of entries with regard to the alleged commercialisation of a piece of land measuring 14-19 acres originally belonging to one, Pritam Singh, until before Partition.

The commissioner, in the wake of an inquiry into allotment of the land to a major builder-cum-developer, had directed the DC on Jan 26 to get the restriction note inserted in “red ink” with signature, date and seal in the relevant entry.

It is learnt that no record has been produced before the anti-corruption establishment (ACE), which is holding the inquiry, by revenue officials so far.

The DC had issued the directive to the ADC-I the same day after receipt of commissioner’s letter requiring him to proceed in the matter for protecting the government’s land located off Hyderabad bypass. The land is being claimed to be a “private property” by certain parties and has already been sold to the major builder-cum-developer, who eventually sold the plots carved out as “commercial pieces of land”.

The ACE director enquiries-I has started the probe on a complaint lodged by a resident of Qasimabad who alleged fraud in the 14-19 acres government land that had been shown as private land. The ADC-I has also issued directives to the Qasimabad assistant commissioner for compliance.

The complaint submitted to ACE mentioned that the 14-19 acres of land had been sold, or was about to be sold, to the major builder by one, Jameel, in connivance with revenue officers. He in his complaint has named the revenue officers allegedly involved in the scam.

Government sources said that the ACE authorities were requiring from the revenue officials to show the ‘mother entry’ of the land in question. These entries have now been produced before the inquiry officer. Smelling a rat and being dissatisfied with replies of Qasimabad revenue officers, the ACE advised the Qasimabad sub-registrar not to make any transaction and submit a report regarding previous registration of the said land in the name of private owner (if any).

Preliminary inquiries by ACE revealed that it was a government land that was shown to have been purportedly owned by private parties and then the private parties claimed its ownership and subsequently carried out transactions within their families.

The applicant also confided to the ACE that the land was originally owned by Pritam Singh under survey No.358. He also owned other survey numbers in Deh Mirzapur, Qasimabad taluka, until the Partition and later he migrated to India. But revenue department record showed it as ‘government land’.

In view of the claim by private parties, sale certificates were issued by revenue authorities on Jan 14, 2022 but in the meantime, the ACE had already moved and advised sub-registrar not to allow this land transaction which was to be actualised in a couple of days.

“We do not rule out interpolation and forgery in the record by some interested quarters. But the matter was reported to the ACE and this has now affected the deal involving all private parties,” said a revenue department source.

A source in the ACE said that the relevant record had not been issued so far by the Qasimabad AC, mukhtiarkar and other officials despite receiving such directives. The interested parties, said the source, may be taking some legal course to save this otherwise dubious transaction.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2022