Major Breakthrough in Bengaluru Land Scam Case
The Bengaluru police have achieved a significant breakthrough in a high-profile multi-crore land scam case that has been ongoing for three years. Sub-registrar G Roopa and real estate businessman Naveen Kumar have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated property fraud scheme in Beratana Agrahara, located near Electronic City in Bengaluru.
The Elusive Accused Finally Apprehended
According to police officials, the Central Crime Branch's Organised Crime Wing, which took charge of the investigation in January 2024, made the crucial arrests in early November. Naveen Kumar was arrested on November 7, while Sub-registrar G Roopa was taken into custody on November 6. Kumar, identified as one of the main accused in the case, had been successfully evading arrest for three years before his eventual capture.
The court has remanded Naveen Kumar to police custody since November 10 to facilitate further investigation into the complex web of fraudulent activities. The police statement released on Tuesday confirmed these developments and outlined the next steps in the legal process.
Origins of the Massive Land Fraud
The case originally came to light in August 2022 when land owner N Mukunda filed an official complaint at the Parappana Agrahara Police Station. The complaint named an astonishing 139 individuals allegedly involved in the illegal scheme.
The fraud centered around Mukunda's property, where there had been an oral agreement with the main accused regarding the development of 107 residential sites. However, according to police investigations, the accused parties went far beyond their authorized scope.
Investigators revealed that the perpetrators created counterfeit documents in collaboration with the sub-registrar and a computer operator. Using these fabricated papers, they managed to sell multiple sites that rightfully belonged to Mukunda, completely without his knowledge or consent.
Legal Setbacks for the Accused
The legal journey for the accused has been marked by repeated setbacks. In June 2023, prime accused Venkatesh Naidu approached a city sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, but his application was firmly rejected.
The court expressed serious concerns about the possibility of evidence tampering if Naidu were granted bail. The judgment specifically noted that Naidu had failed to appear before the investigating officer and had not cooperated with the investigation process at that time.
More recently, Sub-Registrar Roopa also faced judicial rejection when her bail application dated November 6 was turned down. In her defense, Roopa had argued that her role was limited to officially registering documents and that she had no jurisdictional authority to verify their authenticity, especially since stamp duties and registration charges had already been paid before documents reached her desk.
The police investigation continues to uncover the full extent of this sophisticated fraud operation that cheated the legitimate property owner of crores of rupees while exploiting loopholes in the property registration system.
