The accused allegedly used a forged letterhead of the officer on special duty to Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister, D K Shivakumar, Indian Express reported.

According to the report, the Vidhana Soudha police in Bengaluru have registered an FIR under Sections 336(3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 340 (using a forged document as genuine) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complaint was filed by Shivashankar S, the officer on special duty to the deputy chief minister, the report added.

(Also Read: Two men murdered in vacant Bengaluru factory, three detained for questioning: Report)

According to Shivashankar, the unidentified suspect crafted a fake letter on his official letterhead and addressed it to the additional chief secretary in the urban development department.

The forged document sought approval for the conversion of five acres and 22 guntas of agricultural land, including survey number 348/1 in Kesare, into residential plots.

The fraudulent request is believed to have been sent between August 1 and August 28. Upon discovering the forgery, Shivashankar alerted authorities, prompting a formal investigation.

The police are now working to trace the individual behind the scam.

(Also Read: SM Krishna passes away: Karnataka govt declares three-day state mourning over demise of former Chief Minister)

MUDA case

Siddaramaiah, his wife, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and Devaraju — from whom Swamy had purchased a land and gifted it to Parvathi — and others have been named in the FIR registered by the Mysuru-located Lokayukta police establishment on September 27, following the Special Court order.

On September 30, the ED filed an enforcement case information report (ECIR) to book the CM and others taking cognisance of the Lokayukta FIR, and is also probing the case.

Meanwhile, Devaraju, represented by Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, claimed he had been unnecessarily implicated in the case.

(With PTI inputs)