Officer held for faulty assessment of property

The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) arrested an Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) of Jeevan Bhima Nagar sub-division for wrongly assessing the property bequeathed by former Director General of Police (DGP) J E George to his daughter Dr Smrithi George and granddaughter Shilsha Suzanne Ninan.

ARO Nagendra, who was arrested recently, is now out on bail.

According to police sources, the DGP had applied for the transfer of khata for his property on 100-ft Road in Defence Colony, HAL II Stage, on March 24, 2009.

The ARO, in his order, had reportedly wrongly calculated the taxes for the property. 

When George checked with the office of the assistant revenue officer, he found that the ARO had calculated the property value at Rs 20 per sq ft which was applicable for properties in ‘A’ zone, while the property in question was in ‘C’ zone under the Self Assessment Scheme.

Subsequently, he brought it to the notice of then Palike commissioner who directed Nagendra to rectify the error. 

Further, the ARO himself came to George’s residence and collected a cheque of Rs 30,842 as taxes due from Dr Smrithi and also accepted Rs 22,316 from Shilsha who paid her dues online on April 4, 2011.

But on June 27, last year, the ARO while handing over khata certificates told George and his family members that the total taxable amount for Dr Shilsha and Dr Smrithi’s properties were Rs 38,110 and Rs 50,570 respectively. 

Later, Nagendra was contacted about the discrepancy, he didn’t bother to correct the tax assessment. Finally, George lodged a complaint with BMTF. 

Based on his complaint, the BMTF registered a case against Nagendra under Sections 218 and 166 of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him. 

It is learnt that the ARO was also suspended earlier for similar discrepancies, said Palike sources.