Sub-registrar, 3 others usurp 15 acres, booked

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption registered a case against a city sub-registrar and three others, including a man and his two sons, for fraudulently usurping 14.8 acres of land in Madambakkam, which is estimated to be worth Rs 258 crore. The land taken over by the accused includes a nearly 10-acre property that a devotee had donated to Vadapalani Murugan temple more than eight decades ago.

The main accused in the case is R Vivekanandan, now working as Velachery sub-registrar, while others are Kandaswamy Gounder and his two sons, K Mani and K Ramesh.

When he was posted as the SRO at the Selaiyur Sub-Registry on deputation, he allegedly teamed up with the other accused and registered the 14.8 acres of land in 2017. This included a 9.8-acre land that a devotee named Bangaraswamy Naidu had donated to Vadapalani Andavar Devasthanam in 1943.

His legal heirs are still meeting the expenditure towards the performance of Sri Meenakshi Amman and Sokkanathar Utshavam being performed in the temple every ninth day of Tamil month ‘Ippasi’.

As per the Patta ‘A ’ Register of Madambakkam village, the properties belonged to Sri Vadapalani Andavar and 64 other individuals. However, without verifying the ownership details, Vivekanandan executed the settlement deed based on court decree, the first information report said.

The land is situated in a prime location of Madambakkam village, and carries an approximate market value of Rs 257.87 crore, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption added in the FIR.