ADILABAD: Adilabad police have intensified investigation into the fake and double land registrations in the district, involving local realtors, surveyors, and revenue officials.
The issue came to light after police arrested two realtors, Ramesh Sharma and Ibrahim Mohammed alias Mamalla Seth, for their alleged involvement in the illegal registration of land in Survey Nos. 65/B and 65/4, which had already been attached by the ED in a financial crimes case.
According to officials, the accused registered about 2.09 acres of land in the name of GS Oil Mills and mortgaged it with the State Bank of India in 2023, allegedly in collusion with staff at the tahsildar’s office.
Police said the land had earlier been seized by the ED and was under official restriction. A caretaker had objected when the accused attempted to take possession on November 18, 2024. He was allegedly threatened into silence.
Further investigation revealed that the original owner, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, had already executed multiple registrations for the same property, once in 2012 and again in 2013, selling parts of the same land through different sale deeds.
Under the Dharani system, launched by the then BRS government, collectors were empowered to approve agricultural land registrations, and no registration was to be processed without collector approval. Authorities said it was unclear how the tahsildar’s office proceeded with the registration in this case.
Collector Rajarshi Shah confirmed that an inquiry has been ordered. “If the complaint is found valid, the registration will be cancelled,” he said. The collector added that several other irregular registrations, including some in Survey No. 170 and in Tirpelly area of Adilabad town, had also been cancelled.
