The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has registered a case against the then Sub-Registrar, Kovilpatti in Thoothukudi district, for allowing a cemetery land to be registered nine years ago.
Accusing R. Bhagavathi Chandran, now under suspension, of colluding with M. Ponraj, the then president of the Thittakulam village panchayat, the investigating agency said 553.5 square feet of the government poromboke cemetery land was registered in favour of Ponraj’s brother, Palanisamy, on June 24, 2014, causing a loss to the State exchequer.
The DVAC said Ponraj, who later died, had decided to usurp the entire government poromboke cemetery land. He entered into a criminal conspiracy with the Sub-Registrar and forged a sale deed in favour of his brother. He even mentioned in the document that the site had a concrete house though there was none.
Bhagavathi Chandran falsely claimed that he had inspected the site and registered the document by abusing his position and with a criminal intention, the FIR said.
The DVAC said the Inspector-General of Registration had instructed in a circular that the Sub-Registrars should verify the previous original document, patta and other revenue records to ascertain the right to a property by the seller mentioned in the document.
However, the accused official allowed the registration, knowing well that the portion of the land presented for sale was part of the government poromboke cemetery land and it could not have any parent document.
