Madras High Court or Fort St George may be sold by landgrabbers: High Court

The judge said the inspector general on June 10 informed police officials stating that the property was registered as per rules. However, on perusal of the document it was noticed that there was no guideline value fixed for the land.

There was no guideline value even for the land surrounding the property and hence the disputed property was registered on the basis of property value. If in this way registration authorities are going to act upon, then, property including that of government, will be sold away by unscrupulous persons, the judge said.

The judge said a total of 66 acre of land that was sold by way of a single document in favour of a Trust. The registering authority should have verified as to whether the trust had obtained permission under the provisions of the Land Ceiling Act.

“It is unimaginable that at Pallikaranai, Chennai, the value of one acre is Rs. 1 lakh. These are suspicious circumstances which the registering authority should have taken into

consideration." The entire transaction was clouded in mystery and it was a design to knock away government property. If such a practice were to be followed, one fine morning, the high court of Madras or Fort St George can also be sold away by landgrabbers.

It was open to the crime branch police to take a decision to include the Registrar, who registered the said government land, as an accused in the crime, Mr Justice Kirubakaran said.