RDO fined for tweaking files

Justice V Partiban, while disposing the writ petition, seeking to set aside the order passed by the RDO, said, “The attitude of the RDO in the face of the clear judgment and decree of both the trial court as well as the HC is a brazen attempt to trifle with the judicial orders passed by the Courts by misusing his power vested under the statute. The impugned order passed by the third respondent is an act of mindless temerity and the same is required to be deprecated.” 

The issue pertains to a land measuring about 8.6 acres in Gudalur village, which was purchased in 1954 from a certain P K Venugopal. But 26 years later, his two sisters had staked claim for the land on the basis that the sale was void as Venugopal was a minor when the deal was signed.

However, the trial court struck the plea down and the High Court had also upheld it that the deal was valid since Venugopal was not a minor as was claimed during the sale. 

But thereafter, the sons of both the sisters were making attempts to stake claim over the property through illegal arbitration. In the process, the RDO had ruled in favour of one of the sons by rewriting the records.