HYDERABAD: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) has conducted searches at the houses and offices of several suspects in connection with alleged irregularities in the Dharani land records portal. Police have reportedly registered a case and arrested at least four persons. Despite multiple attempts, TNIE was unable to reach CID chief Charu Sinha for a comment on the issue.
The arrested persons have been identified as D Shiva, M Rajender, D Pawan Kalyan and A Mahender.
Several cases have been registered across the state in connection with the alleged irregularities. One of them was registered at Ramachandrapuram police station in July.
The government had constituted a seven-member Special Enquiry Team (SET), headed by Charu Sinha, to probe the alleged irregularities. The SET is examining the role of private contractors whose companies were awarded contracts to develop and maintain the portal. The probe covers their selection, tendering and contract awards, besides the portal’s design, system architecture and alleged data security lapses.
Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy had earlier said a forensic audit flagged more than 10,000 suspicious transactions since the portal’s launch in October 2020.
Sources said the transactions were reported in Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Siddipet, Rajanna Sircilla, Sangareddy and Warangal districts. The forensic audit covered the period from October 2020 to December 2024, when the BRS was in power.
The SET is examining registrations, mutations, changes in land records and classifications, beneficiary details, official approvals and digital logs. Investigators reportedly found that some portal operators and others had colluded to alter property ownership records.
The probe is also examining allegations that titles to Bhoodan lands were transferred to private individuals. Officials are trying to establish how and when the alleged irregularities took place.
Former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao launched the Dharani portal on October 26, 2020. After the Congress came to power, the government replaced it with the Bhu Bharathi land records system, formally launched on April 14, 2025.
