Police booked a patwari of the Ludhiana revenue department and his accomplice for altering government records to grab a piece of land in Salem Tabri here on Friday.
The patwari was identified as Baljit Singh, and his accomplice as Joginder Singh, both residents of Indra Nagar.
The case has been registered following a complaint filed on September 17 by Manjit Singh Komal, 62, of Shastri Nagar near Model Town.
Komal said he had bought the piece of land in 1994, adding that on May 17, 2010, the then deputy commissioner in his order had designated some land in the area for constructing drains, streets and roads.
However, the accused changed the records to show Komal’s land as a plot for the construction, following which his accomplices managed to get the registry and grab the land. On digging deeper, Komal found out what the accused had done, and lodged a complaint.
Investigating officer assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Janakraj said a case under Sections 167 (public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the accused at the Salem Tabri police station. “We have launched a manhunt for their arrest,” the ASI said.