The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has booked a case against former Velachery Tahsildar and three other revenue officials for issuing patta for a government land to certain individuals in Velachery, Chennai, in 2021.

The DVAC registered a First Information Report (FIR) following the Madras High Court’s direction on a writ petition filed by S. Sorna Senthil, who sought stringent action against the said revenue officials. The FIR named Manisekar, former Tahsildar, Velachery, R. Loganathan, former Deputy Inspector of Survey, Velachery, J. Santhoshkumar, former Sub-Inspector of Survey, and K. Sreedevi, former Senior Draughtswoman, Velachery Taluk Office. They were booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The officials allegedly colluded with each other on August 04, 2021, to issue patta for the lands acquired by the government under the Tamil Nadu Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1978, in the name of private individuals, namely M.A. Murthy and M. Sudha.

At 5.27 pm on August 4, 2021, the plot measuring 1,200 sq. ft. in survey no. 117 of Velachery village was in the government’s name, but within three hours – before 8.03 p.m. – the said land was bifurcated into two plots, each measuring 600 square feet. The title of the land was also changed, the DVAC alleged.