Bangalore:
Just weeks after an NDTV sting exposed the involvement of sub-registrars in the land scam in Bangalore, the Karnataka Lokayukta today conducted raids in at least five sub-registrar offices in the city.
During the raids, officials recovered Rs. 79,000 in cash from the KR Puram sub-registrar's office. Rs. 49,000 has been recovered from the Kengeri sub-registrar's office. This money is unaccounted for. At least 16 middlemen or touts have also been arrested.
A sting operation conducted by NDTV on January 7 had revealed that the Karnataka land scam, known to be the biggest in the country, is only getting bigger and murkier - this despite the arrest of former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and several ministers in his cabinet after allegations of illegally 'denotifying' land in Bangalore.
Corrupt government officers are believed to be involved in selling off the little available 'government notified land' to an unaware public. Government notified land is when the government identifies land and marks it for developmental projects - that land is known as notified. Mr Yeddyurappa and several ministers in his cabinet are alleged to have illegally denotified many parts of such land.
But the land scam doesn't stop with politicians. In fact, sources in the revenue department revealed that nearly 1,275 acres of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) land at prime locations in Bangalore was illegally encroached upon. Though the BDA which is meant to keep a check on such activities refused to comment, real estate agents in the city said, officials in the lower and senior most levels are involved. ''Things happen at a cost at a registrar's office. I won't say more than that. Whoever is to buy something, let the due diligence be done first or it can be disastrous," said Farook Mahmood, founder, National Association of Realtors.
The fact that this land is registered by the government, makes a buyer believe his property is legal. If and when there is a crackdown - it becomes a battle between the buyer and the courts. The registrars' who made money over the deal are out of the picture. However, when approached officials deny such a fraud is occurring. "We don't entertain, we reject such applicants who want to buy notified land. We ask them to get an NOC from the BDA," said Ramakanth, Deputy Commissioner, Revenue in Bangalore.
But an NDTV investigation proved that this is not the case. Armed with a set of documents of a piece of land belonging to government notified, Arkavathy layout in Bangalore, an NDTV reporter headed to the Krishnarajapuram Sub-registrar office. Posing as an unauthorized broker, the reporter asked the sub-registrar if he could help with the process of registration. Instead of refusing, the sub-registrar began to negotiate for a bribe. The transcript of the conversation - caught on hidden camera - went like this:
Sub-registrar: Records are not okay.
NDTV: But so many registrations like these take place in Bangalore.
Sub-registrar: They all take money.
NDTV: How much sir?
Sub-registrar: Okay, you reduce your burden. Rs. 10,000 is my fee. Rs. 1,000 for my staff.
NDTV: Okay Sir, I will come next week for registration.
The sub-registrar was suspended after the report.
According to preliminary investigative reports by the Lokayukta, the land scam has already cost the Karnataka exchequer a loss of over Rs. 350 crore. If this aspect of selling off notified land is taken into account, then it is estimated that another Rs. 250 crore can be added to the loss.