Two FIRs were registered at Ulsoor Gate police station on Monday against suspended Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) assistant commissioners and in-charge revenue officers Basawaraju Magi and Lokamatha DS. They are accused of misusing the e-Aasthi system’s SARFAESI module to fraudulently issue new e-khatas for ineligible flats. Thirty-six other people, including several builders, have also been named in the cases.
The officers had been suspended after the alleged fraud came to light. The FIRs were based on a complaint filed by IAS officer Munish Moudgil, the GBA’s special commissioner for revenue.
Moudgil said private builders and applicants allegedly colluded with the officers to misuse a module intended to help banks obtain e-khatas for properties repossessed under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act and later put up for auction. Rather than upload the required SARFAESI orders, applicants allegedly submitted unrelated registered documents, including joint development agreements and other deeds, to secure fresh e-khatas for newly built flats. The officers allegedly approved the applications even though the documents did not meet the module’s requirements.
Moudgil said the transactions allegedly breached Section 147 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, which bars the issuance of such e-khatas in these circumstances. He said the case involved suspected fraud, forgery, abuse of official position and serious misconduct, and warranted a detailed criminal investigation. Lokamatha, who oversaw the Kengeri division of Bengaluru West City Corporation, was suspended over allegations that she approved six e-khatas using forged SARFAESI orders. Magi, who headed the KR Pura division of Bengaluru East City Corporation, was suspended for allegedly issuing 98 illegal and ineligible new e-khatas.
