A land buyer in Tindivanam, Villupuram, found himself entangled in a corruption scandal when local authorities demanded a hefty bribe of Rs. 50 lakh for the registration of his land holdings. Refusing to comply, he attempted to register without paying the bribe but faced obstacles, including the invocation of an unconstitutional rule. The Madras High Court has now intervened in the case, expressing concern over the government's defence of the officials' actions. The court has impleaded the Enforcement Directorate and the income tax department to investigate the alleged corruption and misconduct in this land registration case, with further hearings scheduled this week.
A land buyer in Tindivanam, Villupuram has found himself in a rather unusual situation when attempting to register multiple land holdings he recently purchased. Having found himself entangled in a web of corruption allegations and exasperated by the lack of cooperation from authorities, he finally approached Madra High Court to intervene.
The ordeal first began when, upon trying to register his land holding, D C Elangovan was met with demands for a staggering Rs. 50 lakh bribe by local authorities. Refusing to indulge in such criminal activities, Mr Elangovan proceeded to try and register without paying the bribe. However, the Vanur sub-registrar refused to comply citing Rule 55(A) of the Tamil Nadu Registration Rules which does not allow registration to proceed without submission of the original sale deed.
It must be noted that the High Court has previously declared Rule 55(A) unconstitutional. However, in spite of this ruling, the government persisted in defending the actions of the officials, further deepening suspicions surrounding the entire transaction.
Justice N Sathishkumar, expressing concern over the matter, stated, "The way in which the act of the official respondents in refusing to register the documents is being defended before this court by the government despite the legal position that Rule 55(A)i) has been declared unconstitutional prima facie further strengthens the doubt entertained by this court over the entire sale transaction."
Elangovan, in his plea, explained that he had purchased 1.71 acres from N Naveen Balaji and 2.77 acres from A Manickavel in Tindivanam. When he approached the Vanur sub-registrar for registration, his request was declined due to protest petitions filed by individuals who claimed to have advanced substantial loans to the property owners and held title deeds as security.
Elangovan countered these claims, asserting that the property owners had reported the loss of the title deeds and obtained a non-traceable certificate from the police. However, the sub-registrar conducted an inquiry and declared that the protest petitioners had indeed produced the title deeds, which were then returned to them after verification.
Advocate S Elambharathi, representing Elangovan, alleged that the protest petitioners were collaborating with the registration authorities and were involved in corrupt practices. They were allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakh as a bribe to facilitate the registration of the properties. Shockingly, no action had been taken against the sub-registrar despite complaints filed against them.
As a result of these concerning developments, the Madras High Court has suo motu impleaded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the income tax department to investigate the matter and uncover the truth. The court has adjourned the hearing to September 26, 2023, as it delves deeper into the alleged corruption and misconduct surrounding this land registration case.
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