NICE protester held for fraudulent land deal

He claimed compensation of Rs 6 lakh and a site by fabricating documents showing govt land as his.

A vociferous protestor against the NICE road project has been arrested by the City wing of the Lokayukta police on the charges of cheating and fabricating documents to obtain compensation for land.

Panchalingaiah (in pic), who had led many agitations against the road project of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), was arrested on Friday based on a private complaint filed in the Lokayukta Special Court in January.

The police had referred the matter to the court for a probe and a case was registered on February 29. In his complaint, G N Sadananda Swamy of Kempegowdanagar had alleged that Panchalingaiah had fabricated documents to project land belonging to the government as his own, when the BDA was acquiring land for the formation of Banashankari 6th Stage Layout.

He allegedly prepared fake documents for 10 acres of land and got more than Rs 60 lakh as compensation and eight sites in his name.

Investigation revealed that he had fabricated documents, including mutation registers and RTC (record of tenancy and crops) for one acre of land in Hemmigepura on Survey No 64/P. Panchalingaiah had claimed in 2001 that the land was granted to him in 1979 and produced documents to support it.

He was later awarded Rs six lakh compensation and a 60x40 residential site.
Investigations revealed that the land in question was a gomala land and was given to 11 persons from the Scheduled Caste and three Muslims.

Sadananada Swamy had also named two tahsildars and a special land acquisition officer in the complaint, and the officials’ role in fabricating a cultivation slip is under investigation.

The Lokayukta police are probing two more cases in which Panchalingaiah is said to have registered land at Lingadeeranahalli and Somapura in the name of his family members.

Panchalingaiah, who was involved in several protests against the NICE project, has around 10 cases of rioting, arson and unlawful assembly registered against him in Ramanagara, Bidadi and Thalaghattapura station limits. Non-bailable warrants had been issued against him.

Sources in the Lokayukta stated that the police had been unable to arrest him in these cases due to his close links to a political party.
The Ramanagara police are likely to seek a body warrant for him.
Panchalingaiah has been remanded in judicial custody till May 28.