TIRUNELVELI: The Crime Branch police registered a cheating case against Tirunelveli district panchayat president VSR Jegadheesh of the DMK for double registration of a land with forged documents and criminal conspiracy.
Even though the complainant M Bhagavathi Pandian (64), a differently abled man, filed his online complaint in December 2024, the police took about a one-and-a-half year to act.
Sources say revenue officials gave different pattas for two persons for the same land in support of the accused.
“In 2006 Jegadheesh sold plots in a 4.5-acre land near Thisayanvilai. He sold a plot to one Rajendran. He then gave power to S Kaliappan to sell all plots of the land illegally including the one of Rajendran. Kaliappan sold Rajendran’s land to one C Rani who sold the same to me in 2018. When Rajendran’s family visited their land after 17 years, it was in my possession in 2023. We both had been given a patta for the same land,” Pandian said.
Pandian said Jegadheesh admitted his wrongdoing and promised to give an alternative land to him. “However, he did not keep his promise. I filed an online complaint against him in December 2024. The police only filed a CSR on my complaint then. Jegadheesh signed an agreement in front of the police in May 2025 to offer another land. But nothing happened. After I met higher officials, a case was registered against him finally on May 16,” he said.
Pandian is a retired Public Works Department staff. He said he spent half of his retirement benefit to purchase the plot.
Jegadheesh is also DMK’s Radhapuram east union secretary. The police booked him along with Kaliappan and Rani under IPC Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (forgery committed with the intent to cheat) and 120 B (punishment for criminal conspiracy). Jegadheesh did not respond to phone calls for his version.
