Top Puducherry Official Arrested as ₹12 Crore Temple Land Scam Probe Deepens

Puducherry: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Wing (VAC) has arrested a senior Puducherry government official in connection with an alleged temple land fraud case involving the suspected illegal transfer of valuable property belonging to Kamatchiamman Temple.

A. Sureshraj, Director of the Puducherry Department of Information and Publicity, was taken into custody as investigators expanded their probe into the alleged fraudulent transfer of temple-owned land in the Rainbow Nagar area. The disputed property, measuring approximately 64,035 square feet, is estimated to have a guideline value exceeding ₹12 crore, while its market value is reportedly much higher.

According to officials familiar with the investigation, the alleged scam involved the use of forged documents, including a fabricated will and manipulated land records, to facilitate changes in ownership and registration of the temple property.

Former Registration Officer Under Investigation

Investigators have alleged that Sureshraj was serving as the Sub-Registrar at the Oulgaret Registration Office when the disputed property transactions were processed. He is accused of failing to verify the authenticity of documents submitted for registration, which allegedly enabled the transfer of the temple land through fraudulent means.

After his arrest, Sureshraj was presented before Puducherry Chief Judicial Magistrate T.V. Anand and was remanded to judicial custody at Kalapet Central Prison. He was later granted bail.

Multiple Officials Named in Expanding Probe

The VAC has already arrested several individuals in connection with the alleged land scam, including former officials from the Survey, Settlement and Land Records Department and the Revenue Department.

Former Director of Survey, Settlement and Land Records M.S. Ramesh, who also held additional charge as District Registrar, was among those arrested. Another accused, former Fisheries Director D. Balaji, has been questioned over allegations that land ownership records were updated in favour of a private individual based on a disputed will.

Villianur Sub-Registrar V. Sivasamy and former Village Administrative Officer Chinnasamy, also known as Palani, are among the other accused investigated in the case. Authorities allege that fabricated local clearance records and altered revenue documents were used during the process of transferring the temple property.

Probe Continues to Trace Wider Conspiracy

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Wing is examining registration records, revenue documents and other evidence to determine the full extent of the alleged conspiracy. Officials are also investigating whether similar methods were used in other property transactions connected to the accused.

The ongoing investigation aims to identify all individuals involved and establish the roles of government officials and private parties suspected of participating in the alleged misuse of temple land records.