Amid the ongoing investigation into the alleged fraudulent registration of mutt land in Palani, another suspected land fraud involving 1.66 acres of municipal property, estimated to be worth ₹60 crore, has come to light in Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district. Authorities allege that forged documents were used to first execute a settlement deed and then transfer the land to a private individual through a sale deed. Following the revelation, the Palani Municipality, the Registration Department and other investigating agencies have initiated separate inquiries into the matter.
According to preliminary information, the alleged fraudulent registration took place on July 6 at the Palani Sub-Registrar Office—the same day the alleged illegal registration of 1.4 acres of land belonging to the Dhandapani Swamy Mutt was carried out. Officials said both sets of documents were registered during the tenure of then Sub-Registrar Justin Manikandan, who has already been suspended in connection with the earlier case.
Senior municipal officials said they are verifying historical land records, revenue documents and ownership records related to the property. Once the verification is completed, a formal complaint will be lodged with the Palani Town Police. Officials believe the available evidence prima facie suggests an attempt to illegally acquire government property through forged documents.
According to sources, investigators have identified two suspicious documents. The first is a settlement deed in which C. Ravichandran (63) claimed ownership of the 1.66-acre property and transferred it to his son, R. Manoj Kumar. The value of the property in the document was declared at approximately ₹2.66 crore.
On the same day, a sale deed was allegedly registered in which Manoj Kumar sold the same property to N. Soundarapandian (31) for just ₹20 lakh. Investigators are examining the significant disparity between the declared transaction value and the property’s estimated market value of around ₹60 crore.
Palani Municipal Council Vice Chairman P. Kandasamy said the land is worth nearly ₹60 crore. According to him, during the 1950s, local landlord Mangala Kavundar donated around 25 acres of land to the municipality for waste disposal. In return, he was allotted 1.66 acres on Old Dharapuram Road. However, ownership of the allotted land was never formally transferred to him or his legal heirs in the revenue records. Over the years, the property was largely forgotten, allegedly allowing some individuals to exploit the situation by creating forged documents and registering the land in private names.
A municipal official confirmed that all historical documents relating to the land are being collected for verification. According to records dating back to 1917, ownership of the property is vested in the “Chairman, Palani Municipality.” Officials said criminal proceedings would be initiated if the documents are found to be forged.
Meanwhile, the Registration Department has also launched an independent inquiry to determine how both the settlement deed and the sale deed were registered on the same day without proper verification of ownership. The investigation will examine the authenticity of the documents, the registration process and the role of officials involved.
Separately, in the alleged fraudulent registration of 1.4 acres belonging to the Dhandapani Swamy Mutt, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the CB-CID to submit a status report on the progress of the investigation by August 5. The court is hearing a batch of petitions seeking a CBI probe into the matter. With the emergence of the fresh municipal land case, scrutiny has intensified over recent land registrations carried out at the Palani Sub-Registrar Office. Investigating agencies are now examining whether the two cases are interconnected and whether they point to a broader pattern of irregularities in land registration procedures.
