This has even led to the murder of two persons over a land issue a few days ago.
A pensioner's paradise, just 2-3 decades ago, Mysore saw the potential of property development thereafter when it began to witness signs of growth and Bangalore turned into an attractive destination for technology companies.
Shrewd investors began buying land at rock-bottom rates from gullible farmers in and around Mysore. Deals included bulk revenue lands with no proper clearances. Farmers were paid advances, but the signed documents were not registered. When the land value rose, from a couple of thousands to a few lakhs, they sold the lands which were not in their names. The land sharks lined their pockets with black money, at the farmers' cost.
Some land developers were more enterprising. They went through the land conversion process, greasing the palms of the realtor-friendly officials, converted the lands into sites and made a fortune. Housing co-operative societies also mushroomed and some of them ditched the applicants after misusing their funds.
While the hapless aspirants lost their site deposits, a few of them went to the consumer courts, won cases and managed to get back their money. The Consumer Forum even ordered the arrest of some office-bearers of such defaulting societies in a case or two.
These land deals, a large number of them shady, has expanded the city's limits beyond expectations. No land is available within the ring road today and beyond its eight kilometre periphery the rates are high and are often in the hands of such land sharks or agents.
Demand for land on the western parts of Mysore is high, with the image of Infosys boosting the land value and demand for sites. Rates in this part are higher than in other parts and development is happening beyond the 15-18 km radius. It is here in places like Thonachikoppal, Bogadi, Hebbal and Hunsur Road the land mafia is