Panneerselvam purchased land meant exclusively for SCs and STs, finds Commission

O. Panneerselvam. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has found former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam to have purchased a piece of land that could be owned only by those belonging to SC/ST communities, and also to have obtained a ‘patta’ (revenue document related to land ownership) for it in his name.

The Commission’s third bench comprising advocate S. Kumaradevan and social worker K.M. Leelavathi Dhanraj said, it could not be denied that Mr. Panneerselvam had obtained the patta using his political influence. It also ordered the cancellation of the patta granted in favour of the former Chief Minister.

After holding quasi judicial proceedings on a joint complaint lodged by M. Balakrishnan and M. Muthumani of Theni district, the Commission found that the State government had originally assigned the land located in Theni to the first complainant’s father M. Mookan, belonging to a Scheduled Caste, in 1991.

As per the conditions of assignment, the assignee should not transfer the land ownership for a period of 15 years. Even thereafter, the land could be transferred only to a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, failing which the government could take back the land and re-assign it to eligible people.

In utter violation of the assignment condition, Mookan had entered in to a deed of exchange with one R. Harishankar, who did not belong either to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, in 2008. Thereafter, Mookan went missing since 2015 and could not be traced till date, though a First Information Report (FIR) was registered regarding that.

Subsequently, Mr. Panneerselvam had bought the land from Mr. Harishankar and also transferred the patta to his name in 2023. The Commission ascertained the facts of the case by calling for status reports from the Theni Tahsildar, the District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer, and other officials.

Stating that the purchaser of a property must be vigilant and thoroughly check the mother documents, the Commission recommended the transfer of the patta in the name of the original assignee. It also said, the Tahsildar and the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer could initiate appropriate action regarding the improper transfer of the property.

Further, the Commission advised all district Collectors in the State as well as the District Registrars to issue fresh circulars to their subordinates instructing them not to entertain requests for improper transfer of ownership of lands meant exclusively for the benefit of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.