Sangliana, kin forged documents to grab land, says Ramaswamy

Former MLA A T Ramaswamy, who had headed the Anti-Land Grab Committee, has released documents claiming that the rich and powerful politicians were encroaching government land for their personal profit. 

On Saturday, Ramaswamy released documents to support his charges against former Bangalore Police Commissioner and former MP H T Sangliana.  Sangliana and his family members had forged documents in 1979-80 to secure six acres of Gomala land in Gadenahalli near the Bangalore International Airport, he said. 

Ramaswamy has also raised questions on the role of Energy Minister D K Shivakumar in the land grabbing scam involving the Shanthinagar House Building Co-operative Society in 2003. He has accused the Congress government in the State of being tightlipped on the issue.

‘Documents forged’

Showing documents which ascertain that Sangliana’s wife Elizabeth had secured two acres of gomala land, despite being ineligible, Ramaswamy said the former police commissioner and his family had forged documents to change the title deeds for the land. 

“While two acres are registered in the name of Elizabeth, wife of Sangliana, as per the revenue checklist, it has come to my knowledge that his daughter Jonah Pinto and son-in-law John Adil Kamath Pinto also have two acres registered in their names in the same vicinity,” said Ramaswamy.

He claimed that despite documents suggesting that the land deal was sealed in 1979-80, the pahani changes were made only after 1988-89. 

“It is claimed in the records that Elizabeth was a resident of Gaddenahalli, as a result of which she was eligible for gomala land. This has been conveyed in the Special Land Acquisition order. As per revenue records, it has been ascertained that she has never lived anywhere in the vicinity,” he said. Ramaswamy estimated that the land prices today are not less than Rs four crore to Rs five crore.

Facts misrepresented

He said that Sangliana and his family misrepresented the facts by claiming that a stay order had been issued on the property.

“The stay order which was granted in the case, as mentioned in the land documents, never pertains to the ownership of land in possession of Elizabeth and John Adil Kamath Pinto. The case is different and does not pertain to land ownership of the two family members of Sangliana,” he said. 

Ramaswamy said that close to 22 acres has been misused, including land encroached upon by the Sangliana family.

The Land Reforms Act does not allow a non-agriculturist and a person with an annual income of more than Rs two lakh to purchase agriculture land. Ramaswamy has requested Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to probe the land deal.