Karnataka’s revenue authorities have initiated an investigation into recent plot sale transactions, including one between Infosys and real estate developer Puravankara. The inquiry aims to identify any procedural deviations and determine subsequent actions.
Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda stated, “We have decided to expand the probe into transactions statewide,” in an interview with RealtyDailyNews.
Inspector General of Registration (IGR) Mullai Muhilan has initiated this review following the discovery that five sub-registrars did not adhere to regulations.
The authorities now mandate the submission of an e-khata, the digital version of a property’s official record, for property registration. The Kaveri 2.0 portal is equipped to retrieve e-khatas from the e-Swathu portal during the registration process.
However, the platform includes an editing feature for situations involving court orders, which has been reported as misused.
“We’ve identified instances where sub-registrars utilized the court order feature even when no orders were present. This is illegal and could lead to significant legal repercussions,” the revenue minister remarked.
The government has emphasized the necessity of e-khatas to avert fraud involving counterfeit documents, but such deviations undermine this goal, the minister added.
Revenue Secretary Munish Moudgil revealed that over 300 cases were flagged, with only a few potentially involving legitimate court orders.
Although the government plans to permit B-khatas for registration in rural areas, full operation is pending the conversion to e-khatas. In urban settings like Bengaluru, e-khatas are now being issued for B-khata properties too.
In the case with Infosys, authorities found that transactions proceeded without the required e-khatas. “Even the RTCs (Records of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops) for these lands are still under previous ownership,” stated a senior official, choosing to remain anonymous.
Recently, Infosys sold 53.5 acres of land across two villages, Ballur and Arehalli, under the Ballur gram panchayat in Attibele hobli of Bengaluru Urban district for approximately Rs 250 crore to Puravankara. The company previously stated it purchased the land from the open market and that it was not government allocated.
Queries sent to both Infosys and Puravankara had not received a response by the time of publication.
IGR Muhilan confirmed that he is conducting an audit of registrations to examine the court order module’s application in other instances and will report to the government shortly.
In October 2024, the government amended the Registration Act of 1908, granting district registrars the authority to act on forged documents either independently or upon receiving a complaint. The law establishes penalties for using forged documents during registrations.
