The group had manipulated field books -- the most authentic documents legally certifying ownership of land -- at Chahabil Land Revenue Office (LRO) and the Survey Office (SO) to insert the names of fake owners. [break]
The mafia added certain details in the field books, clearly in connivance with LRO and SO staffers, to capture four public plots in Chapali VDC, 17 private plots at Chabahil and two plots at Bauddha.
A probe panel headed by Durgesh Man Kayastha, deputy general manager of the Survey Department, had stated in its report to the Ministry of Land Reform and Management that the field-books were manipulated by ´experienced land dealers´ with the knowledge of staff concerned.
Police have only been hunting for four persons--Ramnath Mishra, Bhajyu Lama, Kanchha Lama of Chabahil and Bimal Raj Bhattarai of Baneshwor-- who were mentioned in the manipulated field-books as new owners of the plots involved. “But they have not been found at the addresses mentioned or elsewhere despite our continuous efforts,” said Inspector Krishna Pangeni, who handles cases for Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu (MPRK).
Presently, officials also surmise that the real mafia could be well away. “It is also likely that the mafia used the names of persons in their confidence as cover," they added. The manipulated details do not even include complete addresses for the fraudulent names.
Police said they did not receive cooperation from the offices and staffers concerned during their investigations. One Tara Lama, 53, a kharidar at SO Chabahil and Bajrabhan Yadav and Sailendra Baral, surveyors at the same office, were interrogated by police and released on condition of presenting themselves when required.
Republica has found through a study of documents available at MPRK that the Land Revenue Office Chabahil had taken more than a month just to furnish details about the ownership of the plots in question.
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is also investigating the case simultaneously but is not yet known to have reached any conclusion.
The field-book manipulation scandal had also drawn the attention of many "political figures attempting to influence matters” before the ministry intervened and formed the probe panel, officials said.
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