Chandigarh, July 3 — In what appears to be one of the largest administrative crackdowns in recent years, the Haryana Government is likely to chargesheet more than 100 revenue officials — including District Revenue Officers, Tehsildars, and Naib Tehsildars — for their alleged involvement in a massive registry scam that occurred during the tenure of former Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala.
The violations, linked to the illegal registration of sale and lease deeds without mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the District Town Planner (DTP), contravene Section 7-A of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975 — a provision meant to check unauthorised colonies and irregular urban growth.
“Registries were executed in clear violation of established norms. Mandatory NOCs from the DTP were not obtained, especially in notified areas,” a senior official familiar with the probe said.
Initial disciplinary action began in June 2020, when three Sub-Registrars and five Joint Sub-Registrars in Gurugram district were chargesheeted. This was followed by the registration of six FIRs. The state government then directed Divisional Commissioners to carry out detailed inquiries in their jurisdictions.
Reports submitted by these commissioners revealed systemic violations across the state, with numerous land instruments being registered without fulfilling statutory prerequisites.
On March 15, 2022, then Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala informed the Haryana Vidhan Sabha that 64,577 property deeds, registered between March 4, 2017, and August 13, 2021, were found in violation. The regional breakdown included 21,716 deeds in Gurugram Division, 18,358 in Faridabad, 10,849 in Rohtak, 9,774 in Karnal, 2,864 in Ambala, and 1,016 in Hisar. Gurugram and Karnal accounted for 14,873 and 8,182 of these deeds, respectively.
The government initially sought explanations from 133 Sub-Registrars and 97 Joint Sub-Registrars. However, disciplinary proceedings were paused after initial notices were served. Chautala also stated that disciplinary action had been initiated against 156 registration clerks and 381 patwaris, whose failure to scrutinise documents contributed to the scale of the irregularities.
Sources confirmed that officials involved in a significant number of illegal registries will now be chargesheeted under Rule 7 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016, which permits major penalties. Officials with comparatively fewer violations are expected to face minor penalties under Rule 8.
The state government is now expected to proceed with formal disciplinary action in phases, targeting those found culpable through sustained administrative review.
