A senior revenue official of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has been suspended after an investigation allegedly uncovered a large-scale khata registration scam involving illegal property mutations and unauthorised khata conversions. The case is suspected to have caused losses worth several crores of rupees to the civic body and has triggered both departmental and criminal proceedings.
Electronic Property Identifier Overwrites and Layout Regularization Scams
The suspended official, K.S. Manjula, who served as Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) of the Herohalli Sub-Division under the Bengaluru West City Corporation, is accused of facilitating illegal issuance of property records in violation of established regulations. The action follows an inquiry initiated after a detailed complaint alleged serious irregularities in the processing of khata registrations within an unauthorised layout in Herohalli village.
According to the findings of the preliminary investigation, more than 50 individual plots located in Survey No. 56/1 of Herohalli village, Yeshwantpur Hobli, were allegedly granted ‘A-Khatas’ and ‘e-Khatas’ despite lacking the required legal and administrative approvals. Authorities suspect that the transactions were carried out in contravention of statutory norms governing property registration and mutation procedures.
Digital Platform Infiltrations and Inheritance Data Tampering
The investigation reportedly revealed extensive manipulation of Karnataka’s digital property registration platform, e-Aasthi. Officials allege that electronic property identification numbers (ePIDs) belonging to unrelated properties were used to carry out fraudulent mutations. The alleged misuse of the system enabled ownership records to be altered without following the prescribed legal process.
The controversy is linked to land originally owned by B.H. Gangaiah, who passed away in December 2024. Following his death, legal heirs reportedly applied for a family inheritance transfer, commonly referred to as a Pouthi Khata, during 2025. Investigators allege that instead of updating the original property records in accordance with inheritance procedures, existing ePIDs registered under entirely different names were overwritten and transferred to Gangaiah’s heirs.
Mass Ledger Alterations and Title Document Bypasses
According to the inquiry, as many as 76 existing ePIDs linked to unrelated properties were allegedly altered. Authorities claim that several of these digital property records belonged to individuals or entities with no connection to the disputed land parcels. The transfers were allegedly executed without valid title documents, raising concerns about the integrity of the civic body’s property registration system.
The probe further suggests that established administrative safeguards were bypassed during the process. Investigators have pointed to alleged violations of a circular issued by the then civic commissioner that prohibited unauthorised subdivision and splitting of property khatas without approval from competent authorities. Officials believe these safeguards were designed specifically to prevent fraudulent property transactions and unauthorised changes in ownership records.
Civil Service Sanctions and Criminal Conspiracy Filings
Following the findings, the Greater Bengaluru Authority invoked provisions under the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957, to place the officer under suspension pending a full departmental inquiry. The suspension is intended to facilitate an unhindered investigation into the allegations and determine the extent of responsibility.
In addition to disciplinary proceedings, civic authorities have directed revenue officials to approach the local police and initiate criminal action. The proposed complaint is expected to invoke provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust by a public servant and criminal conspiracy. Investigators will now examine digital records, mutation entries, approval trails and property documentation to establish whether the alleged irregularities were part of a wider organised scheme.
Access Log Forensics and Municipal Database Safeguards
Property fraud experts note that manipulation of digital land and property databases has emerged as a growing concern in urban centres, where rising land values create incentives for document tampering and fraudulent ownership claims. Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh has previously emphasised that digital audit trails, access logs and electronic transaction histories play a crucial role in exposing such frauds and identifying individuals involved in unauthorised alterations of government records.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to scrutinise additional transactions processed during the same period to determine whether similar irregularities occurred elsewhere. The case has once again highlighted the vulnerabilities within property registration systems and renewed calls for stronger oversight, transparency and technological safeguards in land administration.
