Survey supervisor under lens after govt land records found in farmhouse in Karnataka

In recent raids by the Karnataka Lokayukta, a large cache of state land revenue records pertaining to Kolar district was found in the farmhouse of a private individual, leading to a suo motu case being taken up. The Lokayukta, investigating allegations involving a senior survey supervisor that forged documents were created to create bogus grants on government lands, raided several premises, including the farmhouse of a friend of the prime accused in Hoskote, where the government documents were found.

During the searches, investigators seized 435 documents, including 128 original government records such as grant records, patta books, khata records, podi records and other land revenue documents. Authorities suspect that original records were illegally removed from government offices and stored in a private farmhouse to facilitate the creation of fake land records.

False records were allegedly prepared in connection with approximately 485 acres of government land, leading to an estimated loss of £768 million to the State exchequer, the investigation found.

Incorrect records created

Investigation so far has revealed that the Senior Surveyor, along with junior staff, allegedly acted in liaison with Tahsildars and other revenue officials to access original land records. Investigators believe that the forged documents were created to create fake grants on government lands using forged seals and forged signatures of former Collectors of Malur, Kolar and Srinivaspura.

The investigation also uncovered allegations that village maps were falsified to match fake grant documents, allowing the fake records to be included in official land records. Once the fake entries were created, the beneficiaries were allegedly asked to file applications with the khata and RTC, following which revenue records were created based on the manipulated documents.

Sources said the alleged blackmail was for significant monetary gains and the beneficiaries paid hundreds of thousands of rupees for illegal preparation of land records.

special team

Observing the seriousness of the allegations, the Lokayukta said the disappearance of original government land records from official custody and recovery from a private location pointed to serious administrative lapses and possible criminal abuses. He emphasized the need to ensure accountability of relevant authorities and ensure preservation of state land records.

The Lokayukta also directed Deputy Commissioner Tahsildars and ADLR officials of Kolar district to appear before the authority and inform about the missing original records, besides identifying the officials responsible for the alleged irregularities. However, the order states that the regional administration has not yet submitted the required report.

The Lokayukta has scheduled the next hearing in the matter to be held on August 21, 2026 at 3.30 pm in the presence of senior officials of the Revenue Department.