Mysuru AC on Timothy case: I was kept in the dark about forged transactions

MYSURU: Mysuru sub-division assistant commissioner Syeda Ayesha, who has taken up the forgery case involving US national Timothy John, said that her subordinates had kept her in the dark about the illegal transaction of farmland. "I was informed only after the case was registered against Timothy for forgery and cheating," the assistant commissioner claimed.
"As per Section 83 of Karnataka Land Reforms Act, I'm authorized to conduct an inquiry on how a foreign national can purchase a farm and whether he belongs to farmers' family and what's his annual income (it should be less than Rs 2 lakh for one to purchase agricultural land)," she said.
Ayesha said that Timothy will be given an opportunity to explain his side of the story at the magistrate court about how he got farmland. He has been served notice to appear before the magistrate court on Wednesday next. The AC stated that she will submit a report to the government after an inquiry.
To a query, Ayesha said: "When I don't know what has happened, how can I take action against a person. Tahsildar Naveen Joseph informed me about the forged transactions only after a case was filed against Timothy." She also admitted that there was a procedural lapse in the case.
Gamblers arrested
CCB police arrested 14 persons for allegedly playing cards on Sunday. Cash and a two-wheeler have been recovered from them.
Police arrested five persons in Nazarbad plice limits while they were playing Andar-Bahar at an abandoned site near Chikahalli off T Narasipur Road.
In another raid, police arrested nine gamblers near the lorry terminal here. Rs 29,550 has been recovered from them. Nazarbad police have registered petty case against the gamblers.