Bengaluru Police Allowed to Investigate the Real Radha in Multi-Crore Property Dispute
The Karnataka High Court has permitted the Bengaluru police to continue their investigation to determine the true owner of a 12-acre property valued at over Rs 100 crore in Bandapura village on the eastern fringe of Bengaluru. Four individuals have claimed to be the inheritor, Radha, the wife of the original owner, S Krishnan, who passed away in 1986.
The Bengaluru police registered an FIR in the dispute over the property on October 22 after an elderly woman claimed to be Radha and accused the director of a major real estate firm in Bengaluru and others of using forged documents and impersonation to seize the property.
Ashwin Sancheti, a director of the real estate firm Sattva Resi Pvt Ltd, signed a joint development agreement worth over Rs 20 crore for the disputed property with the children of a woman named Radha, who claimed to have inherited the property. Sancheti was arrested and later released on bail. The police case was challenged in the high court by Sancheti.
A single-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court allowed the police investigation to continue, stating, “You can’t presume that respondents are innocent and only the petitioners are guilty. You will have to consider everybody’s case and come up with an investigation report, and let us see.”
The court had granted interim protection to Ashwin Sancheti on November 27, noting that the dispute between the petitioners and respondent No.2 is purely civil in nature. However, the court also asked the petitioners to cooperate with the investigation and instructed the police not to take coercive action.
The property in question is a vacant land worth over Rs 100 crore. Three groups of individuals claim ownership of the property using forged documents. The counsel for the Radha who filed the police complaint against the real estate firm director and others argued that the question of the original owner and his wife Radha needs to be resolved.
In the original title deed, there is a thumb impression of Krishnan. The original title deeds are with his wife Radha, the de facto complainant. The marriage register, which includes the thumb impressions, was produced during the police investigation. The documents were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis, and the report confirmed that the complainant is the rightful owner. The FSL report also established that the other three claimants had used fake documents, committing forgery.
The senior counsel for the realty firm executive argued that the original documents were in their possession and could not have been subjected to forensic tests. They also questioned the police’s interference in a matter that is purely civil in nature.
The additional public prosecutor, representing the police, filed objections to the plea for quashing the probe, emphasizing that the matter involved a serious crime. The state government stated, “The investigation is still in progress, and crucial evidence is being collected to establish the roles of various accused, including the petitioner. Interference by this Hon’ble Court at this stage, when the investigation is ongoing and the facts are yet to be fully established, would be premature and unwarranted.”
The case involves alleged forgery of a gift deed in the name of Radha, who died before the date of the deed, a gift deed by another Radha R to her children, who signed the joint development deal with Sattva, and a third woman named Radha with a daughter. Additionally, a 65-year-old woman filed a police complaint claiming to be the childless wife of Krishnan and the absolute owner of the land in Bandapura.
According to the police complaint, the land was purchased by her husband Krishnan with a registered sale deed dated October 6, 1978, which is in her possession. Her husband died on May 29, 1986. After his death, her name was reportedly entered in the revenue records since she did not have children, and she was in possession of the land. The complaint alleges that the three groups of accused persons fabricated documents and registered claims on the property as their own, illegally entering her property and posing a threat.
Sattva Group, a major real estate firm in Bengaluru, has denied any involvement by its executive or the firm in any illegalities. The company stated that it entered into a Joint Development Agreement dated August 14, 2023, with Smt. R. Radha and her four children, the legal heirs of the late Shri S. Krishnan, for the development of a 12 acres 30.5 guntas land parcel in Bandapura village. Sattva Group emphasized that it follows all legal requirements and established business processes and denied any involvement in illegal activities such as impersonation or document fabrication.
