Alleged forged land records used in bid to grab government land in Bhatkal; probe demanded

Bhatkal: An alleged attempt to illegally acquire government land using forged revenue documents has surfaced in Bhatkal, with preliminary findings pointing to possible manipulation of decades-old land records and raising serious questions over the functioning of the local revenue administration.

According to sources, unidentified persons allegedly fabricated historical land records and created false claims over government land by forging documents purportedly issued by the erstwhile Bhatkal Land Tribunal.

The alleged forged documents were reportedly used to generate Form No. 10 (land grant certificates) and handwritten revenue records in an attempt to establish ownership over government land.

So far, two such cases have reportedly been detected, one in Yelvadikavur village and another within Bhatkal town limits. Sources fear that similar irregularities may have taken place in other land records as well.

The alleged fraud is believed to involve manipulation of records dating back nearly four to five decades. Allegations have also emerged that some employees and officials attached to the Bhatkal Tahsildar's office may have facilitated the process. There are also unverified claims of large-scale financial transactions linked to the alleged land scam, although no official confirmation has been issued.

The suspected forgery reportedly came to light after discrepancies were noticed in documents claimed to have been issued several decades ago. According to sources, the documents contained computer-generated Kannada text in a font that was not in use during the period mentioned in the records.

In one of the cases under scrutiny, forged signatures were allegedly used in the names of former members of the Bhatkal Land Tribunal, including then Special Assistant Commissioner U. Koraga Naik and other tribunal members. Sources suspect these fabricated approval orders were later used to support land grant applications.

Investigators also believe the alleged perpetrators overlooked the fact that Karnataka's land records were digitised after 2000, making it easier for revenue officials to compare the submitted documents with archival records and detect inconsistencies.

Further allegations suggest that forged documents were uploaded and approved in the land records management system with the help of certain revenue personnel, thereby giving apparent legitimacy to the fabricated records.

According to sources, the alleged irregularities were detected after a senior revenue officer, recently posted to Bhatkal, examined one such application and found discrepancies between the submitted documents and official archival records. The officer reportedly refused to approve the land grant and is said to have warned of legal action.

Amid reports of attempts to suppress the matter, local residents and activists have demanded a comprehensive investigation into the alleged fraud. They have urged the Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner to order a detailed probe, identify everyone involved in preparing and processing the forged documents, and initiate criminal proceedings against those found responsible.

As of now, neither the district administration nor the Bhatkal Tahsildar's office has issued an official statement regarding the allegations.