Lokayukta Probe Exposes ₹500 Crore Land Record Fraud in Doddaballapura Sub-Division

A preliminary investigation conducted by the Karnataka Lokayukta police revealed major irregularities in revenue land records within the Doddaballapura sub-division of Bengaluru Rural district. The investigation uncovered that former Assistant Commissioner (AC) Durgashree N allegedly manipulated digitised public records to facilitate the illegal transfer of 62 acres and 20 guntas of land across three villages in Doddaballapura taluk to private entities. According to the Lokayukta report submitted to Upa Lokayukta Justice B. Veerappa, the official utilized her digital signature credentials in the state government's Bhoomi software to upload fabricated mutation orders. The uploaded orders cited non-existent court case numbers from the High Court of Karnataka, the Karnataka Appellate Tribunal, and Revenue Appellate Courts to legitimize the land transfers. While the sub-registrar guidance value of the transferred property is estimated at ₹103.68 crore, its current market valuation is close to ₹500 crore. The report highlighted that although the official lodged a complaint regarding fake orders on the day of her transfer, she failed to disclose that the orders were uploaded through her official login credentials. Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa noted that such fraudulent actions undermine public faith in government digital databases. The disclosure emphasizes serious vulnerabilities in district land administration and underscores the necessity for rigorous security audits to safeguard public records across Bengaluru Rural district.