In a major development in the sensational Kamatchiamman temple land grabbing scam in Puducherry, the Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Chennai Office has registered a case of money laundering. Multiple sources in the Union Territory administration have confirmed the initiation of the probe by the ED, to The Hindu.
Sources said the Chennai office of the ED registered a case on June 30, 2023, based on a probe by the Puducherry police, and has now sought particulars from various wings of the territorial administration about details pertaining to the temple land.
The economic offences wing of the Central government has also asked the temple trustee to appear before the probe agency on July 19 to record his statement.
“Last Friday, the Under Secretary (Vigilance) received a communication from the ED office about the registration of a money laundering case based on a probe by the CB-CID. We have also received a written request from the ED’s Chennai office seeking assistance in probing the case,” an official said.
The Under Secretary has been asked by the ED to give necessary instruction to the Sub-Registrar, Deputy Collector, North, Director of Survey, District Registrar, Collector, Commissioner of Hindu Religious Institutions, Puducherry Planning Authority (PPA), Public Works Department (PWD) and Superintendent of Police of the CB-CID to cooperate with the ED in providing specific details regarding the case.
Particulars of the case sought by the agency include details of the encumbrance certificate, will, sale deed and property registration with regard to the two pieces of land belonging to the temple, one extending to around 31,000 sq ft and the other to 33,000 sq ft in Rainbow Nagar, a prime location in the heart of Puducherry, which were grabbed, allegedly in connivance with Revenue Department officials, with beneficiaries reported to include a BJP legislator and his family.
The agency has sought specific details from the PPA and PWD as a multi-storeyed structure has come up on one of the plots usurped by the culprits, a highly-placed official in the administration told The Hindu.
The CB-CID, the source said, has been asked to submit details of the probe and a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) registered a year ago. The crime wing of the territorial police had registered a case under section 465, 468, 471 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Hindu had, on May 20, reported the magnitude of the scam and the expansion of the scope of the probe by CB-CID after the active involvement of revenue officials and the family of a legislator surfaced.
The police have so far arrested 15 persons, including a sub-registrar and Village Administrative Officer in the case. Two other senior officials, Ramesh and D. Balaji, who have held key posts in the Revenue Department when the fake will and registration of the two properties were executed, remain at large. Sources in the police said both have moved petitions for anticipatory bail in the Madras High Court. A notary, Halil Basha, who assisted in creation of the forged will and documents, has also moved a petition for anticipatory bail.
The case has assumed significance with political parties and various outfits upping the ante against the All India N. R Congress led National Democratic Alliance government in the UT for going slow in investigating the role of the BJP legislator, A. John Kumar, in the case. Several protests have taken place in recent weeks seeking the registration of a case against Mr. Kumar and other beneficiaries of his family from the land scam. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a march, earlier this week, to the District Collectorate seeking the arrest of Mr. Kumar.
Published - July 15, 2023 05:30 am IST
