The High Court of Karnataka has directed the State government to initiate criminal proceedings against a Chickballapur-based woman and her family for allegedly creating fake documents to falsely claim grant of three acres of government land in 1987-88.
Justice S.N. Satyanarayana passed the order while dismissing a petition filed by Prema Venkatesh, wife of N.C. Venkatesh, a resident of Ellodu village of Gudibande taluk in Chickballapur district.
The court also imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on her for approaching it with fake documents. It came to the conclusion that the documents relied on the petitioner were forged as different dates were mentioned in the records on grant of land.
“Since the aforesaid criminal offence committed by the petitioner appears to be with the assistance of menfolk in the family, the investigating agency shall, after investigation, initiate prosecution of the petitioner and/or any other menfolk in the family who were actively involved in the process of fabrication and creation of fake records. The same shall be done within 90 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order,” the court said.
The HC also directed the Revenue Department to immediately take possession of the 3 acres and 20 guntas of land, situated at survey number 28/P1 of Ellodu village, Kasaba hobli, Gudibande taluk. Besides, it directed the authorities to ensure that all the revenue records are corrected, showing the land as government property.
Ms. Venkatesh had approached the court in January seeking directions to the Deputy Commissioner, the tahsildar of Chickballapur, and the Commissioner for Survey Settlement and Land Records to survey the land for preparing a sketch and fixing its boundaries as her pleas in this regard had been pending before the authorities since 2015.
The court observed that the petitioner had, in fact, got everything prepared in her name to the point of perfection except getting the phodi work (process of survey of the land, preparing sketch, and fixing boundaries) done, and that approaching the court was her “first mistake”.