Court sentences 16 persons, including Sivagiri Jamin legal heirs, to one day in prison for land grab

16 persons convicted for forging land documents to grab property sentenced to one-day prison and fined ₹30,000 each.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court convicted and sentenced 16 persons, including legal heirs of Sivagiri Jamin, to one day in prison for forging land documents with the intention of grabbing the vast property of Ispahani in Nungambakkam.

Syed Ali Akbar Isphani, a trader from Iran came to India for selling spices and horses, and settled down in Chennai in late 1800. He bought 45 grounds of the property in the name of his wife Katheeja Sultan and his daughter Fathima Sultan in June 1929. This property is situated in prime locality in Chennai, adjacent to the Taj Coromandel Hotel. His wife Katheeja settled her 50% share with Fathima, and Fathima became the absolute owner of the property.

In 1973, she executed a registered settlement deed to the Tamil Nadu Real Estate Private Limited, a family firm, and was also shareholder of the firm which was established to build and run a hospital in the hospital. Her nephew Syed Ali Ispahani was the director of the firm.

In 2006, while checking encumbrance records in the registrar office, the firm employees came to know two entries were made in the encumbrance illegally. They found the legal heirs of Sivagiri Jamin claiming that the late Jamin had also bought property on the eastern side of the road in 1911. Though the property was sold off in 1915 itself, they gave a power of attorney based on forged documents to one Sulaiman Khan for the property, and got registered in Vasudevanallur, Tirunelveli district. Subsequently they entered three sale agreements with one P. Nazeer of Chennai.

Then in 2006, P. Kesan, General Manager, Tamil Nadu Real Estate Private Limited, lodged a complaint with then the City Police Commissioner that the illegal attempt was made to grab their property. Based on which, the Central Crime Branch arrested the suspects in the case. Seventeen persons, including the legal heirs of Rani Balakumari Nachiar, were cited as accused.

At the conclusion of trial, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N. Kothandaraj pronounced the verdict convicting 16 of them for offence under sections 465 (forgery) and 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced to undergo one-day imprisonment until the close of the court for the day.

The CMM said that the accused had not benefited from the general power of attorney. Moreover, they had cancelled the power of attorney and the property was not transferred. “Facing the criminal case itself for the last 16 years is a fitting lesson to them”, the CMM said.