VISAKHAPATNAM: In yet another land fraud case, the SIT officials have found the involvement of former Bheemli mandal revenue tehsildar in the illegal issuing of pattadar passbooks to private parties for six acres of land at Kaapula Uppada. The land is a part of a stretch having legal disputes and the case is still pending with the joint collector’s court. Sources in the SIT said that the revenue tehsildar, who died recently, issued the passbooks to three people in 2009, by tampering of the revenue records. The estimated market value of the land would be around `50 crore.
Having received a complaint pertaining to this case, the SIT officials inspected the land site at Kaapula Uppada a few days ago and cross-checked the records. In 1964, one R Chandramathi Devi, a native of the city, purchased 26.3 acres in the survey numbers of 99/1 and 99/2 near the road between the Old Paradesipalem and Kaapula Uppada villages during an auction held in the court of law. D Sitaramaraju, who was the owner of the land, defaulted a bank loan and the stretch was put to auction.
Meanwhile, Chandramathi was accused of occupying the 20-acre land in the survey number 99/1 before she purchased it in the auction. Hence, a case was filed against her and the case is still pending in the joint collector’s court. However, the then Bheemili tehsildar PVL Narayana issued pattadar passbooks for the rest six acres in 2009 in the name of three persons— K Yedukondalu (3 acres), A Sitarama Prabhuji (2 acres) and J Krishna Babu (1 acre). Recently, R Chandramathi Devi’s son Ahi Krishna filed a complaint with the SIT, claiming that the land in question was still in their possession. He had questioned the rationale behind issuing of pattadar passbooks for the stretch.
“Despite applying for pattadar passbooks for the six acres which are not the part of the disputed stretch, it was never issued to us. But, the then tehsildar issued the document to three people who are not related to the land at all in any way,” Ahi Krishna had appealed to the SIT.Pursuing the complaint, the SIT officials went to Bheemili taluk office and verified the land records.
Officials speed up probe
Having got the two-month extension on their tenure, the SIT officials are on their toes to complete the probe into the land scam. To finish the job before the expiry of their tenure in October third week, the SIT staff have taken to the multi-tasking management mode. A team of officials are busy compiling the key points of their probe findings while some others are still busy collecting the evidence and carrying out field-level verifications.