The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Telangana High Court seeking permission to widen its investigation into a major land scam that allegedly involves senior IAS and IPS officers in the illegal acquisition of government land located in Survey No. 194 of Nagaram village, Maheshwaram Mandal, Ranga Reddy district.
Land Donated, Then Illegally De-Notified
The disputed land was originally donated to the Andhra Pradesh Bhoodan Yagna Board by the late Nawab Haji Khan. However, it was allegedly de-notified using a forged affidavit and a fabricated letter falsely attributed to the Board. The ED claims the fraudulent process was used to falsely present private individuals as rightful owners.
ED’s Investigation Faces Legal Barrier
Assistant Director of ED, Gajraj Singh Thakur, informed the court that although the agency has uncovered significant evidence of a deep-rooted conspiracy, it cannot formally proceed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) due to the absence of a registered FIR. The ED had previously written to the Telangana Director General of Police in November 2024 under Section 66(2) of the PMLA, urging that an FIR be registered. However, no response was received, and Survey No. 194 remains excluded from existing FIRs concerning nearby land parcels (Survey Nos. 181 and 182) already under probe.
Key Accused and Fabricated Documents
The ED alleges that former Maheshwaram Tahsildar and Joint Sub-Registrar R.P. Jyothi conspired with private individuals, including Khadeerunnisa, her son Munawar Khan, and Bobbili Damodhar Reddy, to illegally sell protected Bhoodan land using forged documents. Despite revenue records clearly identifying the legal heirs of Nawab Haji Khan, a false affidavit by Khadeerunnisa was uploaded on the Dharani portal, claiming she was the sole legal heir.
On this basis, land passbooks were issued and around 40 acres were sold to EIPL Constructions in 2022 through 11 registered sale deeds. The ED claims that senior officials, including the then Chief Commissioner of Land Administration, the Ranga Reddy District Collector, the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), and the Tahsildar, allowed the illegal de-notification despite full knowledge of the land’s protected Bhoodan status.
Widening the Investigation
While investigating irregularities in Survey Nos. 181 and 182, the ED discovered further evidence involving Survey No. 194, where senior government officers are believed to have acquired land either in their own names or in the names of relatives. According to the ED, Nawab Haji Khan originally owned nearly 779 acres across Survey Nos. 181, 182, 194, and 195, out of which approximately 565 acres were sold to tenants in the 1950s. The rest was either donated or gifted by 1992.
However, a man named Abdul Shukoor later claimed ownership of a portion of Survey No. 194, allegedly based on documents executed by Khan in 1992 in favor of minors. This suspicious claim led to two FIRs being filed. The ED is now requesting the High Court’s permission to bring these transactions under the purview of its ongoing investigation under PMLA.
