8th accused, a Senior Sub-Registrar, is dead

Bengaluru: In a decision that can serve as a warning to corrupt Government servants, the State Government has dismissed seven currently serving staff, including four Sub-Registrars on charges of fudging challans at Mandya Sub-Registrar Office that resulted in losses to the tune of lakhs of rupees to the State exchequer. The eighth accused in the case, who was serving as a Senior Sub-Registrar, is dead.

The eight Government servants, who were charged included S.N. Prabha, currently serving as Turuvekere Sub-Registrar, H.S. Cheluvaraju serving as Sub-Registrar at  Nanjangud, M. Umesh serving as Sub-Registrar at Sindhanur, C. Vijaya serving as Sub-Registrar at  Sira,  Srinivasulu, who had earlier served as Second Division Assistant (SDA) at Malavalli  Sub-Registrar Office, Srirangapatna SDA A.C. Sunanda and Malavalli SDA Leelavathi. While the eighth accused P.V. Veeraraje Urs, who had served as Senior Sub-Registrar has died, three others — Umesh, Vijaya and Srinivasulu — have retired from service. All the eight were charged with fudging cash challans, thus causing financial losses to the State exchequer while serving at Mandya Sub-Registrar Office in their pre-promotion posts in 2005-06. 

The Government later appointed B. Rangaswamy, a retired Judge to probe the matter. During the probe, it was found that  S.N. Prabha had misused a total of Rs. 6.36 lakh in 77 cases, H.S. Cheluvaraju Rs.1.78 lakh in 13 cases, M. Umesh Rs. 42,000 in 4 cases, C. Vijaya Rs.1.01 lakh in 9 cases, Srinivasulu Rs. 5,000 in 2 cases, A.C. Sunanda Rs. 62,000 in 8 cases and Leelavathi Rs. 5.29 lakh in 40 cases. But all the accused had denied the charges. As the charges were of a serious nature,  a criminal case was registered against all the accused at Mandya Police Station.

The Mandya Principal Civil and JMFC Court, which heard the case recently, found all the accused guilty of the charges and sentenced them to two years simple imprisonment besides imposing a total penalty of Rs. 25,000 each for offences under Sections 166, 409 and 420 of IPC.

 As Prabha, Cheluvaraju, Sunanda and Leelavathi are still in service, they have been dismissed following their sentencing, while three others held guilty — Umesh, Vijaya and Srinivasulu — have retired from service and the other accused Veeraraje Urs, has died, according to the Commissioner of Stamps and Registration  K.P. Mohan Raj.