Theni: Tamilnadu Director General of Police (DGP) C Sylendra Babu has ordered a Crime Branch CID (CB-CID) inquiry into the alleged land scam involving senior government officials and individuals, including an AIADMK functionary in this southern district of the State.
In a press release, the DGP said the District Crime Branch (DCB) of Theni had registered three cases under Sections 409, 465, 466, 477 A, 468, 471, 472, 109 read with 13 (2), 13 (1) (c), 13 (1) (d) of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against serving officials in revenue, land survey and other departments, based on a complaint from the Sub Collector (Periyakulam) C A Rishabh on 23 December.
Since the names of the accused mentioned in the FIR included serving Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Tahsildars, Land Surveyor, Deputy Tahsildars and other private persons, the CB-CID police would investigate the case, he said.
The initial investigations revealed that the revenue officials in connivance with with private persons, including former AIADMK union secretary Anna Prakash, his associates Bose and Muthuvelpandian, had issued pattas in their names in Ganguvarpatti, Vadaveeranaickenpatti, Thamaraikulam among other places in Theni.
The land measuring to the extent of 182 acres and valued at Rs ten crore belonged to the government.
The pattas issued online in their names were cancelled by the district authorities. The names of the accused included RDOs Jayapreetha and Anandi, who were working in Periakulam then, Tahsildars Ratnamala and Krishnakumar, Divisional Deputy Tahsildars Mohanram and Sanjeev Gandhi, Land Surveyors Pichaimani and Sakthivel, VAO Suresh, assistants to Land Surveyor and Divisional Tahsildars Alagar and Rajesh Kannan.
Presently, Anandi serving in Palani as RDO, Jayapreetha working as Deputy Collector at Tiruchirapalli collector office and other revenue and land survey officials were placed under suspension.