One more case of misuse of missing land records at Jala Hobli has come to light. The Lokayukta police investigating a private complaint against the Doddajala gram panchayat president have obtained the original documents of gomala land, which the panchayat president had forged to lay claim to the prime land on Bellary Road. Complainant H. N. Vasanth Kumar has made allegations against the then Special DC and a clerk in tahsildar’s office.
He stated that 154 acres in Survey No. 43 in Jala Hobli was gomala land and 10 acres were granted to T. Madaiah and J. Ramanathan in 1964. In 1994, the bagair hukum committee granted 34 acres in the same survey number to 29 others. The complainant said K. Srinivasaiah had also applied for regularisation of land and claimed possession. But a report indicated that the land was encroached and a report was submitted in 2007.
“It was noted that Srinivasaiah was in possession of two acres and 20 guntas of land but the original documents pertaining to the grant were not traceable. Based on these reports, the Special DC conducted proceedings in 2010 and Srinivasaiah’s stepson submitted forged documents for the land,’’ an official said.
The clerk attached to the office of the taluk office, Anjana Murthy, also appeared in the proceedings and reported that since the documents pertaining to 1965 were in a dilapidated condition, they could not be produced. Vasanth Kumar stated that in 2010 Mr Srinivasaiah was 61 years old. He claimed the land was granted to him in 1965, which means he was then 14 years old when he paid Rs 250 for the grant. The complainant alleged that Special DC Mr Mallaiah and the clerk Anjana Murthy entered into a conspiracy along with K. Srinivasaiah and his alleged stepson Ashwathappa, in illegally regularising the land.