The Madras High Court Bench here has directed Home Secretary and Director General of Police to submit by October 27 year-wise and district-wise details of crimes committed in connection with real estate transactions in the State in the last 10 years.
Justice N. Kirubakaran passed the order on a petition filed by Jainab Beevi, wife of K. Jamal Mohamed who was abducted from Madurai and murdered at Kodaikanal, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death of her husband in September.
The judge also directed the Home Secretary and the DGP to answer six more queries: How many murders and kidnappings in particular were committed in the last 10 years with regard to real estate transactions (year-wise and district-wise details should be given)?
How many cases of land grabbing and forging of land documents have been filed in the last 10 years (year-wise and district-wise details to be given)? Whether organised gangs or katta panchayat (kangaroo court) groups are involved in land grabbing and committing offences relating to real estate?
Whether government lands are grabbed by land sharks in connivance with the officials as part of real estate business?
Why not government sensitise the general public and land owners and purchasers, in particular, to the precautions to be taken while dealing with properties?
Has it not become the need of the hour to device a mechanism or system by the government to regulate real estate transactions?
“As offences relating to real estate have risen in the past 10 to 15 years and absolutely there is no mechanism to regulate the real estate dealings, the above details are necessary to pass appropriate orders,” the judge added.