The business Land Registrar Ruvani Nalika conducted by taking the seal and files home

A large-scale racket involving the fraudulent preparation of official seals of the Colombo Land Registrar's Office and the issuance of forged deeds to organized groups has been uncovered by the Criminal Investigation Department. The Colombo Land Registrar has been identified as the main suspect in this heinous operation and has been arrested.

Extensive investigations have also been launched into organized gangs that forcibly occupy vacant lands and houses and extort ransom money from the true owners to vacate them.

Following a complaint received by the Criminal Investigation Department, this suspect was arrested after being summoned to the Financial and Commercial Crimes Investigation Division. Preliminary investigations have revealed that while she was serving as the Colombo Land Registrar, she provided duplicates of deeds and documents registered in that office to external individuals. Through this, she aided and abetted organized crimes by fraudulently preparing documents of legal owners, and in some instances, even facilitated the sale of those lands to other parties.

According to police investigations, criminal gangs that forcibly acquire land or property using these forged documents intimidate the true owners and demand ransom when they come to question them. They only vacate the premises after receiving a huge sum of money as ransom. This racket is highly organized, and a senior police officer has stated that several lawyers and retired police officers are also involved.

This suspect, K.K. Ruwani Nalika, a resident of Pannipitiya, after being produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanka Bodaragama, was ordered to be released on a personal bail of one million rupees. Furthermore, an order prohibiting her from traveling abroad has also been issued. Against this arrested Land Registrar's Office employee, charges have been filed for committing offenses under Sections 113 (b) and 158 of the Penal Code, as well as under the Public Property Act.