Two sub-registrars suspended for violation of rules

PUNE The inspector general of registration (IGR) has ordered suspension of two sub-registrars in the city on charges of violation of the codes of registration

PUNE The inspector general of registration (IGR) has ordered suspension of two sub-registrars in the city on charges of violation of the codes of registration. IGR Shravan Hardikar has charged the two sub-registrars for carrying out registration in contravention of rules namely, registering property documents without MAHARERA registration and handing over office operations to a private person. Pune city has 27 registration offices where property documents are registered by citizens following verification of documents, legalities and payment of stamp duty. The IGR action comes following complaints that registration was being carried out in violation of the law at some of the property registration offices in the Pune region.

HT Image

According to a state government-appointed inquiry committee, large-scale violations were reported at Haveli registration office number 14 where 195 documents were found to be registered without a MAHARERA registration number. Upon visiting the office, a high-level team of state government officials found alleged losses to the tune of Rs20 lakh.

The team also visited Haveli sub-registration office number 22 and found anomalies such as staff coming late to the office, private persons carrying out official work inside the office, government OTPs being shared with private persons, and absence of professional scanning of documents. The team documented its findings and submitted a report to the government after which action was taken by IGR Hardikar. The action came after Mantralaya received complaints of illegal registrations being carried out in the city in connivance with concerned officials. It is part of an in-depth investigation into doubtful cases of property registration of unauthorised constructions and illegal plotting initiated by the Maharashtra government. As part of this probe, as many as 300,000 documents registered at 27 sub-registrars’ offices over the past three years have been searched and verified.

IGR Hardikar could not be reached for comment and a message sent to him went unanswered.