A sub-registrar, Harikrishna, working in the Anantapur sub-registrar office was suspended from service on Sunday based on an inquiry conducted by the Inspector General as the departmental inquiry prima-facie found fault with him for registering some prohibited lands.

Mr. Harikrishna is reported to have registered 6.60 acres bought by former Dharmavaram MLA’s son Nithin Sai and one Yangalasetti Raju. But these very lands, near the JNTU Anantapur campus, are said to be prohibited.

Mr. Raju and Mr. Nithin Sai’s manager Basha at a press conference on Monday said the land was registered on December 23, 2021, with full payment made to the seller and the required registration fee paid.

A clearance certificate was also given on December 16, 2021, by Anantapur Tahsildar, that it was not agricultural land. This land in the Municipal Corporation limits was in Survey No.301-3 and reflected in Webland till October 1, 2018, but was later deleted, he added, alleging that the deletion was a political vendetta by YSR Congress leaders from Anantapur and Dharmavaram.

The present owners of the land said that in some newspapers it was reported that criminal cases would be filed against the two for getting the land registered with fake documents.

“In what way the documents were fake? The fact is that it belonged to one late Gundu Rao and we purchased from his legal heir paying ₹6 crore,” their manager questioned.