Gurugram court orders FIRS against revenue staff, builders over stamp duty exemption

The court also ordered FIRS against the beneficiary builders, and asked the police to submit a compliance report by December 19.

A local court in Gurugram on Saturday directed the police to register first information reports (FIR) against 14 revenue officials and two computer operators of the revenue department for allegedly exempting builders of the mandatory two percent stamp duty. The court also ordered FIRS against the beneficiary builders, and asked the police to submit a compliance report by December 19.

Builders were allegedly exempt of the mandatory two percent stamp duty during the registry of plots in Sihi village, in sectors 81-84 along the Dwarka expressway. (HT File / Representational Photo)

Builders were allegedly exempt of stamp duty during the registry of plots in Sihi village, in sectors 81-84 along the Dwarka expressway.

“Once we receive the order, we will follow it and file the compliance report as per the court’s directions. FIRS will be registered against the accused,” a Gurugram police spokesperson said.

Sihi village was brought under the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) in 2009. During land registries, an entity has to pay five percent (of the total value of the land as per the prevalent circle rate in the area) stamp duty in the district.but, within MCG limits, one has to pay an additional two percent stamp duty.

Ramesh Yadav had filed a Right to Information application in 2015, inquiring about the rates at which registries in the aforementioned plots were made. The response said that the registry of several plots, between 2009 and 2013, had been allowed without the additional duty.

“Revenue officials did not charge builders the additional stamp duty in as many as 53 registries of land at Sihi village, between 2009 and 2013. In that time, about 400 acres of land was sold to builders,” Ramesh Yadav, the complainant, said.

He later filed a complaint with the district administration. “Revenue staff manipulated the software to show that these parcels of land were beyond the municipal limit. The police began a probe, but it was left incomplete. I had to move a case in the local court in December last year,” Yadav said.