Registry at 10.54 pm! Lid off sale deed ‘fraud’

Tribune News Service

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, May 27

An alleged fraud in the registration of sale deeds at Gannaur and Sonepat tehsils has come to the fore. As many as 63 sale deeds of plots in unauthorised colonies have been registered without a valid no-objection certificate (NOC)/no dues certificate (NDC) in violation of the norms at Gannaur tehsil. Interestingly, the registration of a sale deed of seven acres of land in Sonepat tehsil took place at an unconventional hour (10.54 pm). The Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, has sought a report from the Sonepat Deputy Commissioner. Following a complaint, MLA Nirmal Chaudhary visited the tehsil office in Gannaur on May 18 and found a “big mess” in the registration of sale deeds carried out on May 15. As many as 77 sale deeds were registered at Gannaur on May 15. After the matter came to light, Sonepat Deputy Commissioner Lalit Siwach directed Gannaur SDM Anupma Malik to look into the matter. When the Tehsildar and the MC Secretary matched the records, they allegedly found a big fraud in the registration of sale deeds, sources said.

Shady Sonepat deals

Sixty-three sale deeds of plots in unauthorised colonies registered sans NOC/no dues certificate at Sonepat’s Gannaur tehsil

As per the inquiry report, 96 tokens were issued by the naib tehsildar on May 15 and 77 sale deeds were registered. Norms were allegedly violated in the registration of 63 sale deeds. The registration of a plot in Sonepat at 10.54 pm on February 28 has come under the lens. There was an agreement for the land between two companies. The buyer had got a token under the tatkal mode during the daytime by paying a fee of Rs 25,000 to the Revenue Department.

The buyer paid Rs 1.05 crore per acre as collector rate to the department and also prepared the registry documents but the registration was not done till 6 pm.

Sources said officials of the Sonepat tehsil went to their homes, but were called again at 8 pm and the registration of the sale deed (number 12684) was carried out at 10.54 pm. Another sale deed was also registered after this the same day, the sources said.

The DC said a fact-finding report regarding the registration of the sale deeds at Gannaur had been sent to the government for action. An inquiry into the registration of sale deeds at night was underway, he said.