False claim of Srikantadatta Wodeyar visiting sub-registrar to sign away property

S Shyam Prasad| NT

Bengaluru: A property belonging to the erstwhile royal family of Mysuru has been usurped by creating property documents to show that the late Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wodeyar signed away the property, investigation has revealed.

The High Court has refused to intervene in the Lokayukta investigation against a sub-registrar who registered the property transfer allegedly signed by the late scion of the Mysuru royal family.

Initial investig ation showed that the erstwhile Maharaja was being treated in Bengaluru on the date of the alleged property transfer and never visited the sub-registrar office in Mysuru.

Ramaprasad R, a senior sub-registrar approached the High Court with a petition challenging an order of the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal (KSAT) which had dismissed his application against the Lokayukta investigation against him.

His case was heard by Justice G Narendar and Justice CM Poonacha who gave their judgment recently. Ramaprasad was working as a sub-registrar at Mysuru North earlier.

On December 7, 2013, one Siddamma presented a Confirmation Deed allegedly executed by Wodeyar and the same was registered by Ramaprasad.

It was claimed that due to the ill-health of Wodeyar the formalities were conducted in the ground floor of the office of the sub-registrar. Wodeyar died on December 10, 2013.

The property in question is a site bearing number 10 at Janjar number 155, measuring East to West 300 feet and North to South 200 feet (in all 60,000 square feet) at Alanahalli Village, Kasaba Hobli, Mysuru Taluk and District.

After the demise of Wodeyar, his wife Pramoda Devi filed a complaint with the Lokayukta alleging that Wodeyar had not executed the Confirmation Deed and it was a fake.

The Lokayukta investigated the matter and closed the complaint in October 2015. Again in April 2016 one HS Cheluvaraju, a former colleague of Ramaprasad, complained to the Lokayukta against him. Ramaprasad replied to the notice in August 2019.

The Lokayukta was not satisfied with the reply and recommended initiation of enquiry. An enquiry officer was nominated who issued the articles of charge. Ramaprasad challenged this before the KSAT which dismissed his application after which he approached the HC.

Siddamma had claimed that she had worked in the royal palace 55 years ago for about five years and the then Maharaja had given her a chit that she would be given land.

She was taken to the sub-registrar by an advocate and a relative to sign the document. The HC noted that the Lokayukta report has stated that none of the staff of the sub-registrar ever saw Wodeyar coming there.

The police investigation had shown that Wodeay was being treated at Bengaluru between November 28, 2013 and December 10, 2013.

The signature of Wodeyar on the Confirmation Deed also did not match with his other signatures.

Dismissing the petition, the HC said, “The Tribunal after looking into the contents of the report has recorded a categorical finding that there is prima facie material to show the involvement of the Petitioner in the alleged incident. Having regard to the same, no ground is made out by the Petitioner to interfere with the said finding in the present Writ Petition.” WP 19670/2021