The facts are pretty simple to state. A piece of land was sold by party A to party B for Rs 22 lakhs. The official price was Rs 7 lakhs, less than a third of the actual amount that changed hands. That means A received Rs 15 lakhs which he cannot account for. And it also means that B paid Rs 15 lakhs from sources which are also unaccounted for. Then parties A and B arrived at the land registration office to record the new title. The registration fee is 10 percent of the sale price, or Rs 70,000. Party B paid that. But that was not all. Also paid to the clerk in charge of recording the transaction a 20 percent bribe, or Rs 14,000. Only a part of that bribe goes to the clerk. The rest goes up the chain of command all the way up to the chief minister of the state. This is common knowledge.
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