Fraudulent scheme exposed: 19 accused of embezzling Rs 70 crore

NT Correspondent Bengaluru: A major fraud involving forged documents has surfaced, leading to a case against 19 individuals, including private citizens and government officials, for embezzling Rs 70 crore in compensation for land. The Sheshadripuram police have registered the case based on a complaint by DySP Mallesh of the BDA Vigilance Division. The accused, including Puttamma, Gangamma, and others, allegedly created false documents related to six acres of land associated with survey numbers 13 and 58 in Challaghatta. Despite having no legitimate claim, they forged documents and submitted them to the BDA, falsely asserting ownership and seeking substantial compensation.

The investigation revealed that the BDA’s special land acquisition officer, Dr. Sudha, and surveyor PN Ravi Prakash inadequately inspected the property. Acting on Umesh’s directions, they prepared a misleading report, wrongly classifying the land as eligible for compensation despite its designation for a shelter scheme. Additionally, without thorough scrutiny of the documents, the sub-divisional officer, Dr. Sudha, directed the Bengaluru South Special Tahsildar to open an account in Puttamma’s name on January 19, 2021.

Following a complaint by Govindaraju, preliminary probe confirmed involvement of the accused. The original landowner, Moodalappa, passed away in 1976, and disputes have plagued the property since 1992. DySP Mallesh has called for legal action against those involved.