Nagpur: Youth Congress alleges fraud in 500-600 property registrations

A major controversy has erupted over land and property registrations in Nagpur. The Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress has alleged that around 500 to 600 documents were registered fraudulently or on the basis of duplicate copies at sub-registrar office number 5 and some other offices. The organisation claims that allegedly fake or duplicate copies of key documents such as RL, NA permission, town planning maps and sanctioned maps were used for this.

If the allegations are proven true in an inquiry, it could directly affect property ownership rights and the credibility of registration records. This is why the Youth Congress has demanded an immediate impartial departmental inquiry in which the disputed documents are matched against the original records held by the concerned government departments.

A delegation led by Youth Congress general secretary Akshay Hete submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Inspector General of Registration and Deputy Controller of Stamps for Nagpur division, demanding a detailed investigation into the alleged irregularities.

According to the memorandum, the authenticity of documents submitted for some property registrations is in doubt. The organisation has alleged that RL, NA, town planning maps and sanctioned maps were allegedly prepared as duplicates or fakes and used in the registration process. The Youth Congress has demanded that every disputed document be cross-checked against the original records of the concerned government departments, to establish whether the documents presented to the registration authority actually match the permissions, maps and records that were genuinely issued. The organisation said the inquiry should not be limited to documents held at registration offices alone, but should also cover original government files, permissions, sanctioned plans, maps and related records held by the town planning department and other competent authorities.

The organisation says the irregularity is not limited to one or two registrations, but that around 500 to 600 suspicious documents and registrations should be investigated. According to the Youth Congress, the inquiry should establish where the suspicious documents were prepared, who prepared or submitted them, on what basis the registration authority accepted them, whether the documents were matched against original government records, which officers or staff handled the registration work, and whether the prescribed process was followed before the documents were registered. The organisation has demanded a registration-wise inquiry, not just a paper exercise.

The Youth Congress has also appealed to the registration authority to immediately preserve CCTV footage, computer records, digital entries, scanned copies of documents and electronic registration data linked to these transactions. According to the organisation, these records could reveal who was present in the office at the time a particular document was processed, who handled the registration and when the entry was made in the system. This digital trail could help investigating agencies reconstruct the registration process and identify the officials, middlemen or applicants involved.

The Youth Congress has specifically demanded an inquiry into the role of sub-registrar Krishna Raut, along with other officers and staff linked to the registrations. However, the allegations against Raut and other officers have not been independently proven. The organisation has itself demanded an inquiry to determine whether there was any official negligence, lapse or deliberate acceptance of fake documents. The inquiry should also clarify how the disputed documents reached the registration offices, how thoroughly they were checked, and who approved or processed them.

Along with its memorandum, the Youth Congress also submitted documents bearing allegedly fake seals to the authority as evidence. The organisation has demanded a technical and departmental examination of these documents to establish their authenticity. It has demanded strict legal action against those responsible if the seals or documents are found to be fake.

The Youth Congress says the matter should not be limited to an internal departmental inquiry alone. If the inquiry confirms fake documents, counterfeit seals or violations of registration rules, it has demanded criminal cases be filed against all those responsible. The organisation has also demanded that investigating agencies trace the entire chain, from the alleged preparation of fake documents to their submission before the registration authority and the final registration, to determine whether this was the work of one individual or a larger network.

The Youth Congress has warned that if the administration does not immediately begin an impartial inquiry and take action against those responsible, the organisation will intensify its agitation. The organisation says land and property documents are directly linked to citizens' ownership rights and the security of their property, making a transparent inquiry into any questions over the authenticity of registration documents essential.

The memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Inspector General of Registration and Deputy Controller of Stamps for Nagpur division by Youth Congress office-bearers led by Akshay Hete. Sushant Lokhande, Raza Ali, Sameer Timande, Ashutosh Kamble, Shivam Chaudhary, Sahil Mohod and Anoop Bhandari, among others, were present.

Following this complaint, the registration department has now come under scrutiny. The key question is whether the alleged 500-600 suspicious registrations will be investigated transaction-wise against original government records, and whether the department will preserve CCTV footage and digital trails before evidence is lost. If the allegations are proven, the matter is unlikely to remain confined to a few registrations, and could raise larger questions about document verification, official accountability and the prevention of fraudulent land and property transactions in Nagpur.