Tollywood producer among 3 arrested for forging crores worth of Paigah lands

Hyderabad: In a significant development, the Osmania University police have arrested three individuals in connection with a large-scale land scam involving the forgery of government property documents and the issuance of fake certificates by the Telangana State Archives & Research Institute. The scam concerns falsified documents used to claim ownership of 83 acres of prime Paigah lands, estimated to be worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Tollywood film producer Sivaramakrishna, Managing Partner of Sree Venkateshwara Estates; Kothinti Chandrasekhar, a Record Assistant at the Telangana State Archives; and Maragoni Lingamaiah, a businessman. They allegedly conspired to forge land records and present them in a civil dispute to obtain favourable court orders regarding the ownership of government land.

Sivaramakrishna was arrested on October 17, 2023, at 12:20 p.m. from his residence in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. He is believed to have played a crucial role in the conspiracy to forge and manipulate documents. Kothinti Chandrasekhar, a 53-year-old Record Assistant, was apprehended at 1:45 p.m. the same day. He is accused of abusing his position within the Archives Department to provide fake land documents, including forged Pahani and Asal Sethwaru records, which were subsequently used in court.

Maragoni Lingamaiah, an 88-year-old businessman, was arrested at 5:45 p.m. He is suspected of using falsified documents to secure legal relief and misrepresent government land as private property in court proceedings. All three accused have been remanded into judicial custody following their arrests.

The police investigation was initiated based on a complaint filed by Dr. Zareena Parveen, Director of the Telangana State Archives & Research Institute, on August 8, 2024. This complaint led to the Central Crime Station (CCS) in Hyderabad issuing a “Zero” FIR, which was later transferred to the Osmania University police station.

Kothinti Chandrasekhar has been accused of working with outside parties to create and distribute fake land documents. The Archives Department found that he had issued multiple forged documents related to valuable properties, including 83 acres in Rayadurgam and 10 acres in Yacharam Mandal, Ibrahimpatnam. These fraudulent documents were presented in court in an attempt to falsely claim the lands as private property, resulting in extended legal conflicts.

The forged sale deed dated 15th Aban 1259 Hijri (October 9, 1843) and a Sethwar related to Survey No. 46 of Rayadurgam Paigah village are the key documents in this fraudulent scheme. The Archives Department clarified that they do not keep records of private estates like Paigah or Sarf-i-Khass, nor do they provide sale deeds or Sethwars for private transactions.

Further investigation revealed that Chandrasekhar falsified these documents using his position within the Archives Department and confessed to colluding with Sivaramakrishna and Lingamaiah in exchange for financial compensation. The fraudulent documents were then presented in legal proceedings, misrepresenting government-owned land as privately held property.

The scam has serious legal implications, as the government of Telangana initially found itself defending its claim to the land in court. A favourable judgment for the accused was based on the fake documents, but the discovery of the scam has now prompted a reversal of this ruling, with the Supreme Court expected to hear the case soon.

The arrests follow a thorough investigation, during which the police gathered both oral and documentary evidence supporting charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.

Fake Land Documents Scam in Telangana: Three Arrested for Forgery of Crores Worth of Paigah Lands

Osmania University police today arrested three individuals in connection with a land scam involving the forgery of government property documents and the issuance of fake… pic.twitter.com/2w4A7JqHOf

— Sudhakar Udumula (@sudhakarudumula) October 22, 2024