Karnataka’s revenue authorities have launched an investigation into sale transactions of plots registered in recent months, including the one between Infosys and real estate developer Puravankara, to check deviation from procedures and take a call on further action.
“We have decided to extend the probe into transactions across the state,” revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda told ET.
Inspector general of registration (IGR) Mullai Muhilan has taken up the review on the minister’s directions after five sub-registrars were found to have flouted the rules.
The revenue authorities have made e-khata, or the digital version of a property’s official record, a compulsory document for the seller to produce for registering a property. The Kaveri 2.0 portal is designed to fetch the e-khata from the e-Swathu portal during registration.
The platform, however, provides for an editing option in the case of court orders. The authorities found that this option had been misused.
“We have come across cases where sub-registrars have exercised the court order option though no orders existed. This is unlawful, and invites serious consequences under the law,” the revenue minister said.
The government has mandated the use of e-khatas to prevent frauds by using fake or fabricated khatas. But deviations of this type would defeat that purpose, the minister said.
Revenue secretary (registration and disaster management) Munish Moudgil said the government came across more than 300 cases, of which only a few may have uploaded genuine court orders.
Though the government has decided to open B-khatas in rural areas for registration, the facility has not yet become fully operational for want of their conversion into e-khatas. In Bengaluru and other urban local bodies, e-khatas are being issued to B-khata properties too.
In the case of Infosys, the revenue authorities found that the sub-registrars went ahead with the transaction without e-khatas. “Even the RTCs (record of rights, tenancy and crops) of the said parcels of land are in the names of earlier owners,” said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified.
Infosys sold 53.5 acres of land across two villages of Ballur and Arehalli under Ballur gram panchayat in Attibele hobli of Bengaluru Urban district last month to Puravankara for about Rs 250 crore. The company had earlier clarified in a statement that it had bought the land from the open market, and that the land was not allotted by the government.
ET’s queries sent to both Infosys and Puravankara remained unanswered till press time.
IGR Muhilan confirmed he has taken up an audit of registrations to see if the court order module option had been used in other places as well. He is expected to give a report to the government soon.
The government amended the Registration Act, 1908, in October 2024, empowering the district registrars to act in cases of forged documents either suo motu or following a complaint. The law also prescribes penalties for use of forged documents in registrations.
“We have decided to extend the probe into transactions across the state,” revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda told ET.
Inspector general of registration (IGR) Mullai Muhilan has taken up the review on the minister’s directions after five sub-registrars were found to have flouted the rules.
The revenue authorities have made e-khata, or the digital version of a property’s official record, a compulsory document for the seller to produce for registering a property. The Kaveri 2.0 portal is designed to fetch the e-khata from the e-Swathu portal during registration.
The platform, however, provides for an editing option in the case of court orders. The authorities found that this option had been misused.
“We have come across cases where sub-registrars have exercised the court order option though no orders existed. This is unlawful, and invites serious consequences under the law,” the revenue minister said.
The government has mandated the use of e-khatas to prevent frauds by using fake or fabricated khatas. But deviations of this type would defeat that purpose, the minister said.
Revenue secretary (registration and disaster management) Munish Moudgil said the government came across more than 300 cases, of which only a few may have uploaded genuine court orders.
Though the government has decided to open B-khatas in rural areas for registration, the facility has not yet become fully operational for want of their conversion into e-khatas. In Bengaluru and other urban local bodies, e-khatas are being issued to B-khata properties too.
In the case of Infosys, the revenue authorities found that the sub-registrars went ahead with the transaction without e-khatas. “Even the RTCs (record of rights, tenancy and crops) of the said parcels of land are in the names of earlier owners,” said a senior official, who did not wish to be identified.
Infosys sold 53.5 acres of land across two villages of Ballur and Arehalli under Ballur gram panchayat in Attibele hobli of Bengaluru Urban district last month to Puravankara for about Rs 250 crore. The company had earlier clarified in a statement that it had bought the land from the open market, and that the land was not allotted by the government.
ET’s queries sent to both Infosys and Puravankara remained unanswered till press time.
IGR Muhilan confirmed he has taken up an audit of registrations to see if the court order module option had been used in other places as well. He is expected to give a report to the government soon.
The government amended the Registration Act, 1908, in October 2024, empowering the district registrars to act in cases of forged documents either suo motu or following a complaint. The law also prescribes penalties for use of forged documents in registrations.