Land fraud: Sub-registrar relieved of duty in Odisha

NUAPADA: The district administration has relieved Komna sub-registrar Sarveshwar Jal of his duties after allegations of irregularities in the registration of 4.40 acre of land at Chandhopala village.

Key points

• Nuapada collector Madhusudan Das has directed extra tehsildar Soumyashree Mallick to take charge of the sub-registrar's office.
• The action comes in wake of a complaint filed by Satyanarayan Pradhani and Kumudini Pradhani who alleged that their ancestral property was transferred through unauthorised registration.
• Authorities stated Jal was relieved of his duties to facilitate an impartial inquiry into the alleged procedural lapses.
• After the complaint, the district administration ordered a departmental inquiry and examined the relevant land records and registration documents.
• The development comes against the backdrop of an ongoing police investigation into the alleged land fraud.

In practice, the action comes in wake of a complaint filed by Satyanarayan Pradhani and Kumudini Pradhani who alleged that their ancestral property was transferred through unauthorised registration. It was additionally alleged that an impersonator had appeared as the landowner during the registration of the property.

After the complaint, the district administration ordered a departmental inquiry and examined the relevant land records and registration documents. During the process, the 4.40 acre was restored to the original khata in the revenue records.

Authorities stated Jal was relieved of his duties to facilitate an impartial inquiry into the alleged procedural lapses. The inquiry will examine whether prescribed verification procedures were followed during registration and if there were lapses on the part of any official.

For context, the development comes against the backdrop of an ongoing police investigation into the alleged land fraud. Police had earlier registered a case against six persons including the purchasers of the land and a middleman based on a complaint by the sub-registrar. The departmental inquiry is projected to determine responsibility for any lapse and whether further action is warranted.

Taken together, the developments around land fraud: Sub-registrar relieved of duty in Odisha point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.