Hyderabad: In a major land scam, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Cyberabad police arrested five persons for cheating and trying to sell open lands of innocent farmers and others without the knowledge of the owners. The accused forged documents like sale deeds to cheat other clueless buyers.
The matter came to light after a person dealing in the real estate sector lodged a complaint stating that he was cheated of Rs. 8.5 crore by one Adinarayana Murthy and his associates. The complainant stated that he had paid the huge amount to Murthy, who runs Jaya Dhasaradhi Projects LLP, following which the scam was unearthed by the Cyberabad police, said commissioner VC Sajjanar.
Adinarayana Murthy and his associates met the complainant with a proposal that they would sell lands situated at Golluru Village, Maheshwaram Mandal in Ranga Reddy district. They promised the complainant that they would arrange registration of the lands in his favour if he is interested and paid them the money. They showed him supposed ownership documents consisting of the land documents and Pattedar passbooks.
After discussions, they agreed to sell the lands at Golluru Village and to get the sale deed directly registered in the complainant’s name from the owners. The sale amount was fixed at Rs. 1.4 crore per acre, and the total consideration amount was fixed at Rs. 5.6 crore for 40 acres. Eventually, the complainant, paid an advance amount of Rs. 8.5 crore in June 2019, and a memorandum of understanding was entered in July 2019.
After paying the initial advance, the complainant was patiently waiting to get the sale deed executed. After his repeated requests, Adinarayana sent a photo copy image of the registered sale deed to his mobile showing that it was executed in his name, and that it was registered. However, they did not give him the original documents and cheated him, after which the complainant checked the local Sub-Registrat office and was told that no such sale deed was executed.
Hence, he approached the Kukatpally police and lodged a complaint. After the cops got cracking and arrested the main accused Adinarayana, they found that he had floated several companies, and had forged 50 fake agreement of sale deeds, 9 rubber stamps of various revenue officials and 40 Pattadar passbooks of different holders. The cops also seized seven empty pass books related to lands, and several other alleged incriminating documents.
Along with him, they also arrested Thavya Venkata Murali Krishna, Pippala Yadiah, Kumbati Ramu and Vaddi Ashok, who had all helped him in cheating the complainant by forging documents, lobbying in local registration offices and for misleading the complainant. In fact, Vaddi Ashok used to work outside the SRO office as a documentation writer at Maheshwaram Mandal, said a press release from the Cyberabad police on Friday.
The public has also been advised to be wary of such fraudsters while purchasing lands, plots and flats. The Cyberabad police has advised people to verify the Encumbrance Certificates and land revenue records at the local Tehsildhar Office and Sub-Registrar Office, to check original ownership particulars of the land. It is also advicable to check all the link documents to avoid being cheated.
The police also said that the public should contact the original title holders of the land, but not mediators and speak to the owners directly regarding the rate and other details before entering into any agreement. “In case of any such fraud or cheating, people are advised to lodge a complaint in the local Police station or by dialling Dial 100 or Economic Offences Wing of Cyberabad on whatsapp number 94936 25553,” Cyberabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar added.