Will Nayeem’s Land Victims Get Their Properties Back?

Hyderabad: With the Special Investigation Team (SIT) taking measures to attach 1,300 acres of land registered in several benamis of slain gangster Nayeem, all eyes turned to the victims, who lost land to naxalite-turned extortionist, raising questions when and how would it be done.

However, revenue department experts raise doubts over the handing the encroached land to the genuine owners as it may not be that easy considering gaps in the Registration Act. There are several limitations in land registration laws, observe revenue experts. Adding further to the woes, lack of computerization in land records department in Nalgonda makes it much difficult to identify the genuine land owners.

However, revenue department experts raise doubts over the handing the encroached land to the genuine owners as it may not be that easy considering gaps in the Registration Act.

Nayeem further intensified his land encroachment activity after the announcement of Yadadri Development Authority by Telangana government. The gangster and his associates were on ‘acquisition spree’ buying out plots of individuals, real estate developers and builders by paying throw away prices. The Police has also identified several government lands located in Yadadri Development Authority and Ranga Reddy district.

Officials opine that if the government land is found from land encroachments of Nayeem then that can be restored back to the government, but the problem arises when it comes to individual plots. Multiple registrations, changing of land records and limitations in Registration Act make it more difficult task for Telangana government, observe revenue experts.

Taking undue advantage of nexus with government officials including Police and revenue department, Nayeem and his close associates manipulated several land records and this makes the process of identifying the legible owner, benami and multiple registrations. If Police inquires into details about the actual owner of each property, the properties can’t be restored to their rightful owners as there was no provision of restoration. A senior police officer, who’s part of probing team, said that the Registration Act doesn’t have such provision that enables restoration of land.

However, Police or any other agency can take back land from a person after registration. “Generally, after registration formalities are over, there’s no provision in law that supports restoration of land to actual owner. Now, Nayeem is no more. So Telangana government can take it over from benamis and attach the land. The gangster had registered properties on his benamis or kept it for himself,” explains the police official.

Modus Operandi

Another interesting point is that majority of land cases, Nayeem threatened land owners to sell off their properties at meager prices. Nayeem acquired huge land bank by paying throwaway prices to land owners and got it registered first on hi benamis. Then Nayeem used to offer it for sale in the open market. Nayeem came to know of many loopholes in the Registration Act with help of senior government officials and started exploiting the society using gaps in the law.

Several associates of Nayeem spread over entire Telangana mostly concentrated in Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts had threatened land owners and real estate developers to grab their land at a throw away prices. In majority cases, they paid 10 percent to 30 percent of the land value to the actual owners. With the help of sub-registrar, Nayeem has carried out multiple registrations of properties. Majority of the records were not computerized.

Since there’s no such provision in Land Registration Act, the only alternative is to amend the law to bring justice to the victims. Hence, the victims can hope for justice only if the Telangana government amends the Registration Act. An association of plot owners has requested Chief Minister K Chandrashekhara Rao to look into the matter and bring justice to all the people, whol lost their land.

Several associates of Nayeem spread over entire Telangana mostly concentrated in Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts had threatened land owners and real estate developers to grab their land at a throw away prices. In majority cases, they paid 10 percent to 30 percent of the land value to the actual owners. With the help of sub-registrar, Nayeem has carried out multiple registrations of properties. Majority of the records were not computerized. As a result, if a prospective buyer wants to to take an encumbrance certificate (EC) of these properties at any MeeSeva center, it’ll show up a blank page.