A Bengaluru sub-registrar has been suspended and faces a departmental inquiry after allegedly registering an Rs 18.5 crore sale deed for land already notified for acquisition for the Peripheral Ring Road Part-2 (PRR-2) project, according to the Indian Express. Mullai Muhilan M P, Inspector General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps, confirmed the action against Manjudarshini K, sub-registrar of the Kengeri office.
The matter came to light after activist Amarnath Patil wrote to the registration commissioner, stating that the sale involved land covered by a Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) acquisition notification. The deed was executed on October 6 and registered the following day, according to the report.
The transaction covers Survey No. 115 in Agara village, Kengeri Hobli, Bengaluru South taluk. The deed describes the property as 4 acres and 38 guntas of dry land, along with 20 guntas of kharab land. The buyer paid Rs 18.5 crore. However, the BDA notification issued on September 3 identified 3 acres and 11 guntas from the same survey number for acquisition for PRR-2.
Patil said the notification had already been displayed on the Kaveri portal on October 3 under Court Order Details. The entry was made by the Rajarajeshwari Nagar Sub-Registrar’s Office to alert the public and registration officials. Kaveri is the Department of Stamps and Registration’s web-based system for property and marriage registrations.
The reported transaction has raised questions about how acquisition notifications are communicated and enforced across the registration system. Patil cited Section 4 of the Karnataka Land (Restriction on Transfer) Act, 1991, which restricts the transfer of land covered by an acquisition declaration under Section 19 of the BDA Act. Section 8 bars a registering officer from registering such a transfer unless the transferor produces written permission from the competent authority.
According to sources cited in the report, the registration could lead to further transfers, competing compensation claims and delays in the PRR-2 acquisition process. The sale price by itself does not establish a financial loss to the government, and the official inquiry will have to determine the circumstances surrounding the registration.
Patil also referred to the earlier Dr Shivaram Karanth Layout case, in which the Supreme Court sought details of registrations involving notified land and whether the BDA had informed registration authorities. Five sub-registrars were reportedly suspended in connection with registrations in that layout.
PRR-2 is the southern section of the proposed Bengaluru Business Corridor, a 52-km road intended to connect Mysuru Road with Hosur Road. The wider Peripheral Ring Road project is planned as a 117-km, eight-to-12-lane access-controlled greenfield expressway linking key radial roads around the city. The project is estimated to cost Rs 27,000 crore.
In September, the BDA issued a final notification to acquire 1,427 acres across six hoblis for the project. The sub-registrar’s suspension and departmental inquiry will now determine whether the registration breached the restrictions governing notified land and what administrative action follows.
