BENGALURU: Criminal cases registered against forgery are common and they normally involve the accused forging the signatures of the living. But here, the dead came back to life and signed documents, that put a surveyor in the dock!
The private surveyor had surveyed a piece of land, and during the process, took the signature of a man as part of the mahazar. But the only hitch was... he was late by a couple of days! The signature that the surveyor took was that of a man who had died two days ago.
After learning about the incident, authorities issued a show-cause notice seeking to cancel his licence. After receiving the surveyor’s reply, the DC passed an order cancelling his licence. Later, when the Director of Land Reforms too dismissed his appeal, the surveyor approached the Karnataka High Court.
The case relates to the petitioner, who was granted the private survey licence in 2002. In 2007, he made an application seeking preparation of a survey sketch for Sy.No.182/1 and 182/2 of Kulavalli village, Jamkhandi Taluk, Bagalkot district. While preparing the sketch, the signature of Parappa Shivaraya Masthi was taken on Aug 12, 2007. But Masthi had died on Aug 10, 2007. After a complaint was lodged, the surveyor’s licence was cancelled.
The petitioner contended that he was not aware of Masthi’s death. The signature was obtained on a survey sketch as part of the Mahazar, and was accepted as it was not brought to his notice, the surveyor argued.
“It was the duty of the petitioner to ascertain as to whose signature has been obtained on the survey sketch. He cannot accept the same merely because somebody has produced it. The signature on the mahazar is the proof of the presence of those who have signed the document. The witnesses have also deposed against the petitioner. A detailed inquiry has been held," the court observed.
It stated that the only defence offered by the petitioner that he was unaware of the death cannot be accepted. “The petitioner has failed in his duty as a surveyor in taking the signature of persons who are no more. Such an act of the petitioner necessarily entails cancellation of licence. I find no good ground to interfere with the impugned order," the judge ordered.
