Ramanathapuram police bust real estate racket; four arrested over forged Power of Attorney

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The District Crime Branch (DCB) in Ramanathapuram has busted a major land forgery racket, arresting four individuals in connection with the illegal usurpation of 80 cents of prime property belonging to a woman from Vani village.

The case was registered on August 20, 2026, following a complaint filed by Haja Banu, wife of Baharudeen.

According to police, the victim, Haja Banu, owned 80 cents of land located in Sakkarakottai area of Ramanathapuram district.

In 2021, the primary accused, Jafer Ali, approached her expressing a desire to purchase the land.

When the owner insisted on full payment upfront, Jafer Ali deceitfully obtained a copy of her passport under the pretext of drafting an agreement deed.

Instead of proceeding with a legitimate purchase, Ali conspired with Maheswaran (A4), who was a business partner in the complainant’s hotel venture in Malaysia.

On December 27, 2021, Maheswaran allegedly fabricated a fake Power of Attorney (PoA) in Jafer Ali’s name, fraudulently making it appear as though the document had been executed abroad in Malaysia.

Armed with this forged PoA, the accused executed fraudulent sale deeds, first transferring 8.18 cents of the land to Jesina Begum on January 13, 2022. Later, on June 28, 2025, the remaining 71.82 cents was sold to Senthilkumar (A3).

Senthilkumar is the brother of Chandrakumar (A2) and a real estate partner of Jafer Ali, with police noting that this transaction was orchestrated deliberately to shield the property from being reclaimed by the rightful owner.

Upon discovering the extensive fraud, the victim lodged a formal complaint, prompting the DCB to launch a probe.

Investigators confirmed that A1 and A4 masterminded the document forgery to execute the illegal sales, while A2 and A3 knowingly purchased the properties despite being fully aware of the forged deeds.

Further inquiries revealed that A1, A2, and A4 have been active in the real estate business for the past 16 years.

During the operation, police seized the forged Malaysian Power of Attorney along with other incriminating materials as the investigation continues.