Sub-registrar in Puducherry arrested in temple land grabbing case

V. Sivasamy, a sub-registrar and resident of Bharathi Nagar, Karuvadikuppam, has been arrested by the CB-CID wing of the territorial police for his alleged involvement in a land grab case relating to two plots owned by Kamatchiamman Temple in Puducherry

V. Sivasamy, a sub-registrar and resident of Bharathi Nagar, Karuvadikuppam, has been arrested by the CB-CID wing of the territorial police for his alleged involvement in a land grab case relating to two plots measuring around 64,000 sq.ft. owned by Kamatchiamman Temple at Rainbow Nagar, a prime residential area in Puducherry.

Investigation by the police revealed that the sub-registrar was serving in Oulgaret when the will for the temple land fraudulently obtained by the culprits got registered.

As sub-registrar, he was mandated to verify the authenticity of the “will” when the culprits came for registration 26 years after executing the document. He was supposed to have done the registration in the presence of two witnesses and verified documents, police sources said.

Further, the investigation revealed that Mr. Sivasamy facilitated the registration of the “will” after office hours, sources said, adding there was other factual evidence to prove his culpability.

The region came to be officially recognised as the Union Territory of Puducherry only after 2006 when the rechristening was done by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Before that, the former French colony was known as the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

“The will was claimed to have been executed in 1995. We found references in the will mentioning the region as Union Territory of Puducherry. The renaming was done only in 2006 and the particular reference itself proves that the will was fraudulently obtained,’” said an investigator.

Mr. Sivasamy is the second revenue official to be arrested in the case. Earlier, a Village Administrative Officer, Chinnasamy alias Palani, was arrested for his involvement in the case.