Chennai : In a significant move to combat property fraud, the Madras High Court has directed the Thiruporur Sub-Registrar to file a police complaint regarding the fraudulent registration of property using forged Aadhaar cards. This decisive action follows a shocking incident where four fake Aadhaar cards were used to register documents for an immovable property in Thiruporur, Chengalpattu district.
Justice P.T. Asha, recognizing the gravity of the situation, has chosen to personally monitor the police investigation. This underscores the court’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring the integrity of property registration processes. The judge has also mandated that the Sub-Registrar make a formal entry in official records detailing the fraudulent registration, which occurred in 2021.
In a crucial step to protect the rightful owners, Justice Asha has instructed the Sub-Registrar to refrain from registering any further documents related to the property if the title is found to be based on the fraudulently registered documents. This proactive measure aims to prevent further complications and safeguard the legitimate ownership of the property.
The case originated from a writ petition filed by C. Subbulakshmi of Kotturpuram, Chennai. Her counsel, C. Suraj, informed the court that the 40-cent property in question belonged to Ms. Subbulakshmi’s late husband, C. Vivekananda, who acquired it in 1973. Following his death in 1985, the property rights were transferred to Ms. Subbulakshmi and her three children. Two children later relinquished their shares.
In 2000, a partition deed was executed between Ms. Subbulakshmi and her son, C. Santhosh Kumar, each receiving 20 cents. However, in 2021, they discovered that a settlement deed and a general power of attorney had been registered for their property without their knowledge or consent.
Further investigation revealed that the fraudulent documents were registered by impersonators using fake Aadhaar cards. Mr. Suraj promptly sought an interim direction from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to verify the authenticity of the Aadhaar cards.
The Central government senior standing counsel, K. Srinivasa Murthy, informed the court that the UIDAI database contained no records matching the four Aadhaar card numbers used in the fraudulent registration. Justice Asha declared this a “clear case of forgery” and ordered the fraudulent registration to be recorded in the property’s encumbrance certificate.
The Madras High Court has decided to keep the writ petition pending to monitor the police investigation and issue further directions as needed. This proactive approach demonstrates the court’s dedication to resolving the case thoroughly and preventing similar incidents in the future.