The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a detailed counter affidavit in the Telangana High Court concerning an alleged multi-crore land scam involving Bhoodan and government lands in Nagaram.
The affidavit, filed by ED assistant director Gajraj Singh Thakur, outlines a conspiracy involving the use of forged documents, illegal land transfers and the sale of government-notified properties. Proceeds from these transactions were allegedly diverted to private individuals.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Dastagir Sharif in March 2023, leading to an FIR at Maheshwaram police station under the Rachakonda Commissionerate. The FIR names Khaderunnisa, her son Munawar Khan, Bobbili Damodar Reddy, Bobbili Vishwanath Reddy, N Santosh and Kondapalli Sridhar Reddy.
They are accused of creating forged documents and executing fraudulent sale deeds for approximately 103 acres located in Survey Nos. 181/1-6 and 182 in Nagaram.
According to the ED, these lands were notified as government property in 2006, a year after Dastagir Sharif and Muzaffar Hussain reportedly purchased the land in 2005. Dastagir obtained a stay order from the high court, but the matter remains pending. In 2012, the Mandal Revenue Officer classified 50 acres as Bhoodan land and 45 acres as government Gairan land, placing the property on the prohibited list.
Despite these restrictions, Khaderunnisa and her son allegedly produced false documents claiming her father had orally gifted (Hiba) her 51 acres in 2004. Based on these claims, patta passbooks were secured from the tahsildar in 2014, but these were later cancelled following an inquiry initiated by a court petition.
By that time, 10 to 12 acres had already been sold. Although these transactions were later cancelled, the accused proceeded to sell another 40 acres in 2021 to Vishwanath Reddy and Santosh Kumar, the affidavit alleges. The ED claims that sub-registrar Jyothi colluded with the accused despite being aware that the land was classified as government property.
The accused have been booked under Section 420 of the IPC (cheating) and Section 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for laundering the proceeds of crime. The ED’s investigation suggests that land worth several crores was unlawfully sold, with proceeds moved into private accounts. Financial trail examination is ongoing.
Records indicate that the lands in Survey Nos. 181, 182, 194 and 195 originally belonged to Nawab Haji Ali Khan, who gifted parts of the property to his sons Akbar Ali Khan and Farooq Ali Khan in the late 1960s and donated around 50 acres to the AP Bhoodan Yagna Board. The remaining land was later declared Gairan by the government.
Despite this, Khaderunnisa, claiming to be the sole heir of Haji Ali Khan, along with Munawar Khan and others, allegedly fabricated legal heir documents to claim succession. However, official records already listed Haji Ali Khan’s two sons, contradicting Khaderunnisa’s claim.
The ED further alleges that officials from the Rangareddy Collectorate, the tahsildar’s office and the sub-registrar’s office colluded with the accused to illegally de-notify Bhoodan and Gairan lands using forged letters under Section 22-A of the Registration Act. The CCLA still records the land as Bhoodan, but forged papers were used to override the classification.
The ongoing probe under PMLA Section 50 has included statements from several individuals, and further scrutiny of departmental records is being conducted to establish official involvement.
A separate angle under investigation relates to land dealings in Survey No. 194 by relatives of Abdul Shukoor, who claimed to have purchased the land from Nawab Haji Ali Khan in 1992. However, records suggest that Haji Ali Khan had disposed of most of his land holdings by 1958, casting doubt on the authenticity of the 1992 documents. Shukoor is already facing two cases linked to land encroachments involving forged papers.