Dehradun: A land scam involving misrepresented distances and underpaid stamp duties has been exposed, leading to impending legal consequences.
In a recent development, a land scam involving over four hectares of property has come to light, centering around manipulated distance measurements from the main road and evading the required stamp duty payments. The fraudulent sale, which raised suspicions, prompted an investigation by the authorities. Following the revelation of the truth, measures are now underway to take legal action against the perpetrators, enforcing penalties in accordance with the law.
The incident came to the attention of ADM Finance and Revenue, Ramjisharan Sharma, following a complaint lodged regarding the sale of approximately 4.4360 hectares of land in Barasi Grant. The allegations revolved around irregularities in fulfilling the stamp duty obligations during the transaction. Moreover, the deal, dating back to 2013, was found to have violated the regulations of the Land Act. As per the information shared by ADM Sharma, Thampi CC of Kerala executed the sale of this property to Girveer Singh Negi and Khushhal Singh Negi through five separate sale deeds.
At the time of the sale, the land’s distance from the main police station road was officially recorded as 350 meters. This discrepancy in distance measurement led to a reduction in the applicable circle rate and consequently, a lower stamp duty payment. However, subsequent investigation revealed that the land’s actual distance from the main road was only 180 meters. As a result, the calculated stamp duty fell short by a significant sum of Rs 25 lakh compared to the prescribed amount. With additional fines, the total penalty could potentially escalate to around one crore rupees. ADM Sharma confirmed that the assessment of the stamp duty deficit is currently underway, and appropriate action will follow soon after the evaluation is complete.
Land was bought for resort and gardening
The land in question was originally purchased by Thampi CC for the purpose of establishing a resort and engaging in gardening activities. Acquired under the government’s approval, the land deal circumvented the restriction of only allowing outsiders to purchase 250 square meters of agricultural land in Uttarakhand. To realize his plans of building a hotel and resort, Thampi CC obtained government authorization to acquire about 55 bighas of land under the Land Act of 2003. However, despite the acquisition, no construction or horticultural efforts were initiated on the land. Although the government extended the construction proposal’s validity for an additional year in 2012, the property was eventually sold clandestinely.
Negligence of employees
Further scrutiny reveals a possible element of negligence on the part of certain revenue employees involved in the transaction. The land was intended to be registered under Category C, yet it was erroneously categorized as Category A. This classification error led to an oversight in monitoring the land’s activities. This situation has raised discussions of potential legal repercussions against the employees responsible for the oversight. ADM Sharma stated that the appropriate course of action will be determined shortly.
In light of these revelations, the exposure of this land fraud points to the necessity for stringent regulatory measures to prevent such scams in the future. The forthcoming legal action emphasizes the consequences that await those who attempt to manipulate property transactions, underscoring the importance of adhering to the law and regulations governing land deals.