Lonavla land scam: sub-registrar suspended

The Land Registration Department has suspended the sub-registrar who was allegedly involved in the land scam in Lonavla.

The office of Inspector General of Registration and Stamp Duty Ram Shingare suspended Ashwini Kshirsagar, the Lonavla sub-registrar of land registration who was allegedly involved in illegal land transactions worth several lakhs, on Tuesday. The Land Registration Department had conducted an inquiry against Kshirsagar following a complaint by Satish Shetty, an activist of Anti-Corruption Vigilance Committee, a non-governmental organisation.

Around 911 transactions were scrutinised when it was found that Kshirsagar was responsible for the loss of stamp duty worth Rs 11 lakh.

Sources said all land transactions, around 11,000, which took place during her tenure, would now be scrutinised after serious lapses surfaced during the preliminary investigation. A first information report was also filed against her at the Lonavla police station on October 15.

She, however, has not been arrested so far. Kshirsagar joined government service in December 1978 and has been facing two departmental inquiries.