Coming down heavily on the Registration Department for failing to preserve documents and stealthily introducing new documents, the Madras High Court on Wednesday summoned the Secretary, Home Department and Inspector General of Registration to be present before it on November 1 with reply to the queries raised by it.
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Chennai:
The court said that the move has enabled the real estate mafia to unlawfully occupy government properties and those owned by other citizens.
Justice N Kirubakaran on receipt of a big cover containing some loose sheets pertaining to document no 3283 of 1967, which cannot be sorted out, said, “It is surprising and shocking to note that documents, which have to be preserved permanently, as per Rule 185 of Registration Rules, have been maintained in such a bad condition.”
Observing that the Registration Department is a specialised department, well-versed with registration of documents and preservation of deeds, that in case of any difficulty by the parties regarding title or by the Court, can summon those documents and verify the same, said, “When the basic documents themselves are being damaged/destroyed, it could be safely assumed that nobody’s property is safe, as only the documents would speak before any Court of Law.”
Also, in another instance, Justice Kirubakaran on holding that prima facie, it is clear that an attempt has been made to stealthily introduce survey number 394 of Semmencherry which is a Government property in the old document, with a new document as if it is a private land, said, “This court is of the view that this is part of a large scale attempt made by real estate mafia in various registration offices to unlawfully occupy or loot govt properties and also the properties owned by citizens.”
“This kind of illegal acts could not be possible without connivance and support of Registration office staff who have the custody of property documents,” Justice Kirubakaran added.
Raising a slew of queries on damaged documents, which included as to how many volumes of registered documents in various registrars’ offices have been damaged and when the digitisation of documents would be over, the judge also sought to know about the number of surprise checks held by DVAC in registration offices in 2018, the number of persons arrested, and the amount seized. He also sought details about the number of officials booked more than once by DVAC inquiry for the past 10 years.
However, Justice Kirubakaran in his order also held that the surprise checks and enquiry by DVAC during the past 10 years only appear to be an eye-wash and they are not doing the work properly.