Salem: Magudanchavadi sub-registrar and eight others were booked on Thursday for allegedly duping a landowner and fraudulently registering 10,000 sq ft of land in his friend’s name.S Murugan, of Indira Nagar near Vembadithalam, owned 15,000 sq ft of land. On Dec 16, 2025, Murugan’s friend Vellaiyan took him to the Magudanchavadi sub-registrar office. As Murugan was under the influence of alcohol, Vellaiyan made him sign several documents and registered 10,000 sq ft of Murugan’s land in his name. In a few days, Vellaiyan sold the land to Ayyanar and Prema, who were residents of the same area. When Murugan’s family learned about the fraud, they filed a complaint with SP Gautam Goyal, who forwarded it to the district crime branch (DCB). “At the end of the inquiry, we have registered a case against eight people, including the Magudanchavadi sub-registrar (name not mentioned in the FIR) for their alleged role in the land grabbing scam,” DCB SI R Karupannan added.
