In a significant ruling, the Telangana High Court has dismissed a petition that sought directions to the registration department to register a parcel of agricultural land in Chevella, which is currently under attachment by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The land is linked to the multi-crore investment scam allegedly orchestrated by Nowhera Shaik of the Heera Group.
Court Questions Dubious Land Purchase
The petition was filed by four Hyderabad residents—Sheraz Khan, Sarfraz Jeevani, Syed Ayazuddin, and Sayeed Khan. They claimed to have purchased 10.11 acres of agricultural land at Aloor village near Chevella from Nowhera Shaik in 2022. However, they faced objections from authorities when attempting to register the sale.
Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka, hearing the case as a lunch motion, sharply questioned the petitioners' claim. He pointed out a critical inconsistency: the property had been under ED attachment since 2019, years before their alleged purchase. "How could they have purchased the property in 2022 when it had been under ED attachment since 2019?" the judge asked, highlighting the implausibility of the transaction.
Background: The Heera Group Scam and ED Action
The land in question is part of the assets attached by the ED in connection with its money laundering probe against Nowhera Shaik and the Heera Group of companies. Shaik faces allegations of orchestrating a massive investment scam worth over ₹5,000 crore, cheating thousands of investors across states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
The ED had attached the Aloor village land and later put it up for auction as part of the recovery process. The petitioners informed the court that they were asked to obtain a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the ED, which was impossible given the ongoing proceedings. They had urged the court to direct the registration department to bypass this requirement and register the land in their names.
Court's Observations and Dismissal
Justice Bheemapaka took serious note of the attempt to register a property already under legal attachment. Dismissing the plea, the judge observed that the case reflected a lack of inter-departmental coordination. He suggested that such issues could be mitigated if government departments worked in better sync.
Furthermore, the judge emphasized the need for public awareness to prevent citizens from falling victim to frauds involving attached properties. He opined that the registration department and other stakeholders should conduct large-scale awareness campaigns to educate the public about verifying the legal status of a property before purchasing it.
The court's dismissal on Friday effectively disposes of the matter, leaving the ED's attachment on the property intact. The ruling reinforces the legal principle that properties under investigation and attachment by agencies like the ED cannot be transacted or registered without due clearance, protecting the process of recovering funds for alleged fraud victims.
