Same land sold twice. Both illegally and moreover when the rightful owner was still trying to get a purchaser.

Topping it, a former concillor enters the fray claiming ownership. In Bangalore realty nothing seems to bite anymore. In a new case of bogus land sale, a one acre-38 gunta property in Whitefield has been “sold” twice by land-grabbers. All by producing general power of attorney (GPAs) executed by a person dead nine years back.

Dr Edward Freitas had purchased his property bearing sy no 58/1 in Pattandur Agrahara village from former Commissioner of I-T, Madras late T L Sarvothama Rao through a registered GPA dated March 16, 1996. Last year, while planning to sell the property, the Canada-based surgeon realised that the land has already been “sold” by Gangappa and Muniswamy to B R Krishnappa and Purushottam on June 6, 2006 and June 29, 2006 respectively. The sale considerations were Rs 65 lakh and Rs 85 lakh respectively.

Signatures faked
“Mr Rao had passed away on February 4, 1997. The culprits forged his signature, got fake GPAs (with dates in 1996) and registered the sale at the KR Puram Sub Registrar Office,” Freitas said. Rao’s signatures, as they appear in the GPAs, are different from his signature on his GPA agreement with Freitas, copies of which are with Deccan Herald.

After filing a police complaint and issuing a legal notice in a Kannada daily on February 2, 2007, Freitas returned to Canada. On March 31, a group of people allegedly sent by former Mahadevapura CMC Councillor P Rajanna entered the property and erected a board, claiming ownership. They also forcefully evicted the security guards and damaged the property, he claimed. “The Government wants NRIs to invest in India. But I am busy fighting an encroachment here and there’s no help in sight,” Freitas said.

MODE OF ACTION
Reacting to the charge Rajanna said, “There’s a dispute over three allegedly bogus GPAs, including the one in possession of Freitas. I had put up the board to ensure that none trespassed the property till the dispute is over.”
However, the intruders had also struck Freitas’ name off the walls and put Rajanna’s instead, apart from erecting the board claiming that the property was Rajanna’s. “This is the pattern in which land grabbers operate in Whitefield. The idea is to create confusion and panic and keep the original owner away. Later, they execute a sale and share the booty,” Freitas said.