Hyderabad: In the high-profile case involving IAS and IPS officers allegedly procuring government land in Survey No. 194 of Nagaram village, Maheshwaram mandal, Rangareddy district, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought the Telangana High Court’s permission to investigate the matter further.
ED assistant director Gajraj Singh Thakur informed the court that the matter had come to the agency’s attention, however, the agency could not investigate the matter as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) does not allow a direct investigation without an FIR registered for an offence in the respective police station. He told the court that ED forwarded the issue to Telangana DGP in November 2024 under Section 66(2) of the PMLA, requesting appropriate action and FIR registration if the allegations were found valid.
However, ED received no communication so far from the DGP’s office. Nor has the complaint been included in the FIR registered at the Maheshwaram police station regarding Survey No.s 181 and 182, where Bhoodan lands were allegedly alienated using forged documents. If an FIR had been filed, it could have proceeded with its own investigation. The ED has requested the court for permission to investigate the matter.
The assistant director informed the court that findings from an ongoing investigation into the Maheshwaram case have revealed signs of a deep-rooted conspiracy, involving forged documents, ignorance of facts available on the Revenue Records maintained by the officials at all levels and acceptance of the forged documents by the revenue officials, which ultimately resulted in alienation of the precious government land.
The official also said that an investigation is ongoing and some more facts could emerge regarding the role of the persons involved in the scam. According to the ED, former Maheshwaram tahsildar R.P. Jyothi — who also served as joint sub-registrar — conspired with accused individuals including Khadeerunnisa, her son Munawar Khan and Bobbili Damodhar Reddy to fraudulently sell notified government land in Survey Nos. 181 and 182. These lands originally belonged to Late Nawab Haji Khan, who had donated 50 acres to the Andhra Pradesh Bhoodan Yagna Board and distributed the rest among his sons.
Despite this, the tahsildar allowed a false affidavit filed by Khadeerunnisa on the Dharani portal claiming she was the sole legal heir. This was accepted, despite revenue records already listing Khan’s two sons. The accused also submitted a fake letter, bearing number TBYB/A/195/2017 of September 16, 2017, allegedly from the Bhoodan Yagna Board, to de-notify the land from the prohibited list under Section 22A.
The ED told the court that senior officials, including the then chief commissioner of land administration (CCLA), the Ranga Reddy district collector, RDO and tahsildar, allowed the de-notification based on these fabricated documents — despite knowing the land’s classification as Bhoodan land after the Board’s dissolution. Post-de-notification, passbooks were issued in the names of Khadeerunnisa and her son, who sold 40 acres of the land in 2022 to a real estate firm, EIPL Constructions, through 11 registered sale deeds.
Gajraj Singh said the agency had recorded statements from officials involved in the succession, de-notification, mutation and sale of the land under Section 50 of the PMLA, and further examination will be conducted based on responses from the concerned departments. He also noted that while investigating Survey Nos. 181 and 182, the ED came across evidence related to transactions involving Survey No. 194, where the said government officials had allegedly procured land in their own names or those of their family members.
The agency also submitted a short note on the alienation of Survey No. 194. According to the ED, Late Nawab Haji Khan owned about 779 acres across Survey No.s 181, 182, 194 and 195, of which 564.91 acres were sold to tenants between 1957 and 1958. The remaining land was either gifted or donated before 1992. However, one Abdul Shukoor claimed ownership of a portion of Survey No. 194 using registered documents allegedly executed by Haji Khan in 1992 — but in favour of minors aged 11, 6 and 2 at the time.
Based on this, two FIRs were registered and the ED is now seeking permission to expand its investigation into Survey No. 194, involving senior officials and possible money laundering.