Infosys land sale: Karnataka revenue minister says Bengaluru DC to probe; sub-registrar suspended

Krishna Byre Gowda

• Bengaluru DC to probe Infosys' Rs 250 crore land sale to Puravankara
• Several sub-registrars suspended over alleged fraudulent land registrations
• Infosys asserts sale met regulations, land wasn't government allotted.

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Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner (DC) has been directed to probe the sale of a 53.5-acre land parcel by Infosys in Anekal taluk to real estate developer Puravankara, in a transaction valued at around Rs 250 crore.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said, “Bengaluru DC has been instructed to conduct an investigation into the complaint regarding the sale of land belonging to Infosys. Based on the findings of the investigation, action will be taken against those found guilty.”

Infosys, however, maintained that the transaction was carried out in compliance with all applicable regulations and clarified that the land was not allotted by the government.

The company’s statement comes amid questions raised over the valuation of the deal, with some alleging that the sale price was lower than the prevailing market value.

“As part of Infosys’ asset divestment programme, a land parcel located in Attibele, Bengaluru, was identified for divestment to optimise asset utilisation. The sale was executed in adherence with Infosys’ policies, external approvals, and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, the land that has been divested was purchased by Infosys as non-commercial and non-industrial land at market value and was not allotted by the government,” Infosys said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Department of Stamps and Registration has suspended Ravi Sankanagowda, sub-registrar of Sarjapur Sub-Registrar’s Office, for executing the transaction through 40 sale deeds in connection with the alleged fraudulent registrations.

Inspector General of Registration and Commissioner of Stamps Mullai Muhilan told Moneycontrol that Ravi Sankanagowda has been suspended not only for this transaction (Infosys land deal) but also in connection with other cases under inquiry.

Explaining the alleged irregularities, Muhilan said Kaveri 2.0 registration software provides exemptions for registrations based on court orders. “By misusing this option, documents where there were no court orders at all were fraudulently registered by selecting the ‘court order’ option. Several sale deeds were thus registered at Sarjapur Sub-Registrar Office,” a statement said.

"A thorough inquiry has been initiated into all such cases, and pending the inquiry, Ravi Sankanagowda has been placed under immediate suspension", it said.

The statement further said that at the Banaswadi, Varthur, and Halasuru Sub-Registrar Offices, sale deeds were illegally registered despite the mandatory requirement to import e-Khata information from the e-Swathu software. “Out of the total five sub-registrars involved, one has retired. The remaining four - N Satish Kumar, Sridhar (First Division Assistant, in-charge sub-registrar), Girish Chandra, and R Prabhavathi - have been placed under suspension as per the order dated January 2, 2026, pending departmental inquiry,” it said, adding that strict action will be taken against guilty officials as per applicable rules.

Puravankara, in a stock exchange filing, said the acquisition aligns with its strategy of adding “quality developable land” across strategic Bengaluru micro-markets. Managing Director Ashish Puravankara said the deal reflects the company’s disciplined approach to growth and confidence in the long-term fundamentals of these locations for developing large, sustainable communities.