Former Velachery Tahsildar, three co-workers booked by DVAC

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) on Friday have registered a corruption case against four revenue officials who had served in Velachery Taluk and two individuals for allegedly altering documents online to convert a government land into a private land and issuing patta to private individuals.

A FIR has been registered against R Manisekar, the former Tahsildar of Velachery Taluk (presently special tahsildar, Ambattur), R Loganathan, the deputy inspector of survey at Velachery Taluk (presently serving at Coimbatore), J Santosh Kumar a field surveyor (presently serving at Mambalam taluk office) and K Sridevi a senior draughtsperson at the Velachery Taluk office (presently working at Egmore taluk office).

The other two accused were private individuals MA Murthy and his wife, M Sudha, residents of Velachery.

DVAC action was based on the directions of the Madras High Court earlier this year.

Subsequently, on Saturday, searches were conducted at five places (four in Chennai and one in Coimbatore) and incriminating documents were seized.

Investigations revealed that the six accused colluded with each other and the revenue officials had issued patta to two land parcels (each 1200 sq.ft) acquired by the government under the Tamil Nadu Urban Land (ceiling and regulation) act in the name of the private individuals.

On August 4, 2021, Murthy had applied for sub division patta through online in respect of the 1200 sq.ft of land in Velachery taluk.

Further, The revenue officials approved the sub division of the 1200 sq.ft plot into two plots.

"Thus, on August 4, 2021, at 5.21 pm, the plot measuring 1200 sq.ft in survey number 116 of Velachery village was in the name of the government, but within three hours, by 8.06 pm, the said plot was bifurcated into two plots, each measuring 600 sq.ft and the title was changed from government land to the name of M A Murthy, a private individual," the DVAC FIR stated.