BENGALURU: The Revenue Department is said to have given a clean chit to Chief Secretary Arvind Jadhav and his mother Tarabai Jadhav in its probe into the allegations of irregularities in purchase of 8 acres and 30 guntas of land by Tarabai at Ramanayakanahalli in Anekal taluk.
According to sources in the Revenue department, Assistant Commissioner of Bengaluru South sub-division in Bengaluru Urban district D B Natesh, who conducted the probe has submitted his report to Principal Secretary to the department Dr Ramana Reddy.
The report states that no irregularity has been found in the purchase deal of the said land at Ramanayanakanahalli by Tarabai Jadhav after verifying the sale deeds, survey records and other documents. The report also conveys that the said land was not agricultural land when purchased by Tarabai.
But questions still remain
However, the probe may not prove adequate to bail out the Chief Secretary from trouble as several questions still remain to be answered.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who had taken Jadhav to task when the alleged scam tumbled out four days ago, had adopted a wait and watch approach after the Chief Secretary issued a clarification stating that the said land was not a government land when his mother purchased it in 2002 and the land was purchased after she sold her agricultural land in Devanahalli.
However the latest reports in the media show that Jadhav allegedly misled the media and the Chief Minister as it is reported that Jadhav’s mother still holds 16 acres of land with the survey numbers - 76 A, 77, 80 and 81 in Hegganahalli in Kundana hobli of Devanahalli. Further, the land use pattern has been converted from agricultural to commercial purpose in 1996.
The probe by the Revenue Department has not covered these aspects of the controversy as its mandate was confined to legalities of purchase of land at Ramanayakanahalli.
Leader of the opposition in Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar has rubbished the probe as a mere eye wash to shield the Chief Secretary. He demanded Jadhav’s suspension and handing over the probe to the CBI. He alleged that records are being tampered and created to bail out Jadhav.
Siddaramaiah, who was livid after the latest reports of Tarabai still retaining the ownership of lands in Devanahalli, felt he has been misled by the Chief Secretary.
The Chief Minister, who was on a visit to Delhi on Friday, is likely to ask Jadhav to explain on the questions that have remained out of the ambit of the probe conducted by the Revenue official.