Belagavi police have busted a high-profile land fraud case in which private property was allegedly transferred by impersonating the original owners using fake Aadhaar cards and other forged documents. The scam reportedly involved collusion from sub-registrar officials in Hukkeri and Sankeshwar.
Cases have been registered against sub-registrar Madiwalayya Banimath at Hukkeri and Yamakanamaradi police stations. Banimath was recently arrested in one case and secured anticipatory bail in another on February 8. Bond writer Anand Daddimani was also taken into custody, while police are searching for another sub-registrar previously posted at Sankeshwar. The fraudulent transactions involved six acres of land, allegedly transferred illegally in May and June 2025.
The investigation began following a complaint by landowner Shivanand Maruti Kudanuri on January 22. During searches, police raided the residence of Neelakanth Shetteppa Mudupaki, seizing 9 fake Aadhaar cards, 3 fake PAN cards, a fake voter ID, and 22 forged documents. A separate raid at Suryavanshi Photo Studio, owned by Ashok Suryavanshi, recovered equipment used to create forged identity documents, including a computer, laptop, camera, printers, and a lamination machine.
Mudupaki, Suryavanshi, and their associate Vijay Shivshankar Mathad were arrested in connection with the case. Other accused include Renuka Shankar Mali, Shivarudra Pradhani Kudnuri, Kashavva Shivarudra Kudnuri, Siddayya Nirupadayya Hiremath, and the late Adiveppa Shetteppa Mudapaki, all residents of Kurani village. Investigators said the accused impersonated original landowners at sub-registrar offices to execute fraudulent property registrations.
Superintendent of Police K. Ramarajan told the media that the suspects first transferred the land into another person’s name and immediately sold it. He alleged that sub-registrars “purposely allowed” the registrations to proceed without Aadhaar authentication and failed to properly verify sale deeds and other documents, despite clear irregularities.
This case follows a similar incident last week in Waghawade village, where eight suspects allegedly impersonated landowners using fake Aadhaar cards to transfer property. Unlike the Belagavi case, no sub-registrar was named in that earlier incident.
