A land allotment scam involving Rs 16.85 crore has been uncovered at the Vijayapura District Ambedkar Development Corporation, where forged documents were created for land meant to be distributed to landless women from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
This revelation comes on the heels of a separate financial scandal in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation, which involved a staggering Rs 88 crore.
The scam came to light after Lokayukta officials raided multiple offices based on a complaint filed by an individual. The complaint alleged that from 2014 to 2018, the Ambedkar Development Corporation failed to distribute land to eligible landless women agricultural workers from the SC category under the Land Ownership Scheme.
Instead, the accused officials created fake purchase documents in the names of the beneficiaries and used the corporation’s name to illegally acquire the land without compensating the rightful owners.
According to the Lokayukta, the officers involved not only violated the rules but also misused government funds for personal gain, depriving SC/ST women of their rightful land. Following the complaint, an inquiry was launched, and a case was filed at the Vijayapura Lokayukta Police Station on December 26, 2024, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Lokayukta police conducted raids over 5 days, beginning December 30, 2024, targeting the offices and residences of several key officials. These included former district managers Renuka Satarle and S.G. Hadapada, retired Taluk Development Officer S.S. Managiri, as well as the current district manager and Taluk Development Officer of the corporation.
During the raids, investigators uncovered serious violations, including the creation of fake documents and the allotment of land to non-local individuals who were made to appear as though they had purchased land under the scheme at their own expense. The investigation also revealed illegal private bank accounts being used to facilitate the fraudulent transactions, land being allotted to ineligible beneficiaries, and multiple plots being allocated to a single family.
Further scrutiny uncovered alarming discrepancies, such as 23 missing files related to the Land Ownership Scheme from 2012 to 2018. In total, investigators found that fake purchase deeds, registration, and stamp duty receipts had been fabricated in 33 files, leading to a loss of approximately Rs 16.85 crore to the state exchequer.
Lokayukta’s investigation is still ongoing, and authorities have vowed to pursue justice for the victims of this scam.
