Hyderabad: The Benami Prohibition Unit of the Income Tax Department has provisionally attached three land parcels in
Gopanpally since ownership-like rights over the properties were acquired in the names of three persons but no payments had been made, say media reports.
According to the Times of India, the three adjoining plots, worth about ₹5.52 crore, spanning 3,630 square yards, are in Gopanpally village of Serilingampally mandal, Rangareddy district.
The department has treated the registered holders, Tirupathi Rao Sattu, Chinthalapally Amaravathi and Spoorthy Gona, as prima facie benamidars while the beneficial owners are recorded as “unknown” as investigators could not identify those who funded or benefited from the transations, said the report.
The attachment orders were issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act 1988 on July 31.
According to the department, the properties were bought on May 11, 2022, through general power of attorney (GPA) documents.
Although executed as GPA arrangements, the documents effectively granted rights similar to ownership, including possession of the land, unrestricted powers to sell it and complete control over its use and transfer, investigators found.
Why department treated registered holders as benamidars
The holder of the first land parcel, Sattu, said he had not paid any money for the GPA and did not possess the original documents, prompting the department to treat him as a prima facie benamidar.
The second property was registered in Amaravathi’s name, who said that she signed the documents on her husband’s instructions and had no idea about transaction details or funds.
Gona, whose husband appeared for her before investigators, admitted that his wife had not paid any money and did not possess the original GPA documents.
