Puducherry: In a significant development, the Puducherry police have arrested Karaikal District Deputy Collector Johnson in connection with the Sri Parvatheeswarar Swamy Temple land forgery scandal. The case, involving the alleged illegal sale of temple land, has taken a dramatic turn with Johnson’s arrest, following a detailed investigation into the fraudulent dealings.
The scandal came to light after complaints were filed regarding the sale of land belonging to the renowned Sri Parvatheeswarar Swamy Temple, located in the Kovilpathu revenue village of Karaikal district. According to reports, a forged order was circulated on social media, falsely claiming that temple land had been allocated to the tourism department as part of a smart city initiative, along with alleged involvement by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). The order, bearing forged signatures, led to the unauthorized sale of temple land, raising concerns within the community.
The issue escalated when Deputy Collector Johnson reported that his signature and official seal had been forged to create false documents that misled buyers into believing they were acquiring legitimate land parcels. The Hindu Munnani, a Hindu nationalist organization, lodged a formal complaint with the District Collector Manikandan and the Puducherry Governor, alleging that government and political interference played a role in the scandal. They demanded the arrest of the real perpetrators behind the scam.
The Puducherry police responded by launching an investigation, forming special teams to probe the matter. During the course of the investigation, two brokers, K. Sivaraman and P. Thirumalai Rajan, were arrested for deceiving victims into paying Rs 3 lakh each for falsely advertised land sales. The prime suspect in the case, JCP Anand, who allegedly masterminded the fraudulent sales using counterfeit documents, remains on the run. Authorities have issued a lookout notice for Anand, who is believed to have provided crucial leads that helped the police in filing cases against other individuals, including B. Anand and land surveyor Renukadevi.
According to media reports, G. Renuka, a 41-year-old Deputy Surveyor with the Karaikal Municipality, has been accused of playing a key role in fabricating official documents, such as patta certificates and government orders, to facilitate the illegal sale of temple land near the JIPMER campus. During her interrogation, Renuka alleged that the entire operation was carried out under the direction of Deputy Collector Johnson. She also admitted to leveraging her official position to access land records and forge documents.
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மகளிர் காவல் நிலையத்தில் ரகசிய அறையில் வைத்து 15 மணி நேரம் விசாரணை… pic.twitter.com/4uFOdmHbqg
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Police investigations revealed that forged patta documents and related materials were found at Renuka’s home, along with equipment used to carry out the forgeries. The investigators seized various documents and mobile devices, which are currently being analyzed for cyber evidence.
Deputy Collector Johnson was arrested at his office, and investigators conducted a thorough inquiry at a secure location in the women’s police station for over 15 hours. Authorities have also confiscated his mobile devices for further cyber analysis. According to police sources, the conspirators collected crores of rupees from unsuspecting buyers by falsely promising government-approved pattas for the temple lands.
Senior Superintendent of Police Manish, who is leading the investigation, described the case as a “premeditated criminal conspiracy.” He noted that the investigation is still ongoing, and additional suspects may be involved. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to track down the remaining individuals implicated in the case and to further advance the investigation.
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