Belagavi: A major land grabbing racket targeting innocent property owners has been uncovered in Belagavi district. The illegal network allegedly involved land mafia members in collusion with a Sub-Registrar and other officials.
According to police investigations, fake documents were created to fraudulently sell properties worth crores of rupees without the knowledge of the original landowners. The scam involved preparing forged agreements and editing Aadhaar cards using photo editing software to facilitate illegal property transfers.
So far, six cases have come to light across Belagavi district, including incidents reported in Hukkeri, Mudalagi, and Sankeshwar.
One of the key cases involves the illegal sale of 2.1 acres of land in Survey No. 189/4 in Kurani village, which belonged to Shivanand Managavi. The accused allegedly prepared forged sale agreements and manipulated Aadhaar card details to transfer the land to another party without the owner’s consent.
In connection with the case, Hukkeri Sub-Registrar Madivallayya Banimath has been arrested. Bond writer Anand Daddimani and Ashok Suryavanshi, who allegedly edited the Aadhaar card using Photoshop software, have also been taken into custody.
Police have stated that there was a failure in proper Aadhaar verification by the concerned authorities. Investigators suspect deliberate involvement and cooperation from the Sub-Registrar and office staff in executing the fraud.
A case has been registered at Hukkeri Police Station, and Belagavi district police have arrested a total of six individuals, including the Sub-Registrar, in connection with the land scam investigation.
