PUDUCHERRY: The Anti corruption wing of CBI has filed a chargesheet in the Special CBI Court here (headed by Principal Sessions Judge) against G.Ragesh Chandra , an IAS officer serving as Secretary to the Government(Education, Local Administration ) along with at least 11 others in a case of land scam involving the sale of a government land at Pillyarkuppam in Bahour Commune by a private party in connivance with certain government officials of the administration.
The scam involves land measuring around 30 hectres in Pillyarkuppam Revenue Village , close to Puducherry-Cuddalore road which was provided by the government to a private paper mill in 1978-79 to set up their unit Pondicherry Paper Mill. This includes around 25 hectres of agricultural land that was acquired from farmers by Pondicherry Industries Promotion, Development and Investment Corporation (PIPDIC) and another 5.5 hectres (approximately ) of government poromboke land that was leased out to the paper mill .
After the mill closed down in 2001 around 15 years back, instead of returning back the land to government control as per the clause in the agreement was sold off , without obtaining necessary clearance from the government. Besides the 25 hectres of land acquired from farmers which required to be returned to the farmers if not used for the purpose for which it was acquired as per the clause was also sold out along with the government land by the paper Mill owner to real estate promoter . The 5.5 hectres of government land have been converted into patta land in connivance with certain Revenue officials and both the land sold out. The entire land was bought at very exorbitant rate by the real estate businessman K I Maniratham , the Managing Director of Navasakthi Township developers , who had promoted housing plots. The registration for sale deed was executed in Bahour Sub-Registrar’s Office after allegedly shifting a sub-registrar who refused to register the land (after knowing clause) and replacing him with another compliant official.
This land was reportedly sold for about Rs 80 crores and kickbacks were allegedly provided to certain people in the government.
Pursuant to a FIR registered in July, 2014 in this regard , the Anti Corruption wing of the CBI, investigated and chargesheeted the case on December 16.,2015 after obtaining necessary approvals from the Lieutenant Governor and Chief minister.
M.Venkatesanthen , then sub-registrar of Bahour, V.Subramanyam, then district registrar, Ragesh Chandra who was then District Collector have been charged with criminal conspiracy in the sale of lands during 2009 - 2010. They have been charged for offenses under Sections IPC 120 B(criminal conspiracy), IPC 420(Cheating 468(Forgery for purpose of cheating) and Prevention of Corruption Act.