Noida authority cancels plot claimed by 4 ‘wives’ of a dead IAS

NOIDA: The Noida authority on Tuesday said that it had to cancel the transfer certificate of a residential plot after four “wives” of a deceased Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer laid claim over the coveted residential property located in Sector 62.

Hari Shankar Mishra, 67, the retired IAS, died due to brain haemorrhage at a private hospital in Vaishali. He was living in Noida’s Sector 76 with Shiba Shikha, who claimed to be his second wife, and got transfer certificate made from the Noida authority.

The authority cancelled the transfer certificate issued on December 4, 2024 to Shikha. She had also shown relevant (allegedly forged) documents of being a legitimate successor of the deceased who co-owned the property with a friend Sajid Khan, officials said.

As per the market rate, the property is valued around ₹6-7 crore. These wives claim to be living in different cities, and now coming to lay claim, said officials, adding that the measure came after the authority received similar request applications from three more women claiming to be his legitimate wives.

“We cancelled the transfer proceedings right after we got the complaints in this matter. The residential plot department got multiple applications claiming to be the legitimate legal heir, causing suspicion in the minds of the staff. When inquired, the staff found that death certificate copy and legal heir papers are seemingly forged, leading to cancellation of the transfer paper that was received by one of the claimants,” said Lokesh M, chief executive officer, Noida authority.

The authority had, in 2002, allotted the 179 square metre plot at a rate of ₹37,700 per square metres to two people, said officials. One of the co-owners was an IAS officer who died about a month ago, said officials.

After his demise, one of the four wives (Shikha) came to the authority with a death certificate, legal heir papers, an affidavit, Aadhaar card, PAN and other relevant papers, requesting that his rights be transferred in her name. The request application was duly processed as a routine procedure. But the suspicion arose after three other women, with similar documents, laid claim to it.

The woman had shown a death certificate of the plot allottee, stating the date of death as July 11, 2024 as she applied for transfer of property in her name, said officials.

“On the basis of the relevant documents we issued a transfer certificate on December 4, 2024. It could happen because the death certificate submitted is a bit blurry and the wife’s name was not clear in it. The authority is discussing the matter within the department to decide under which sections an FIR should be filed against the women who submitted forged death certificate and legal heir certificate for property transfer,” said a Noida authority official aware of the matter.

“I submitted all original certificates and get TM done as I am legitimate heir because I was taking care of him since he retired. And other relatives did not bother about his health and now they lay claim. I want justice,” said Shikha.

“Now we are asking each woman coming to lay claim that they should approach the civil court that will decide the actual legal heir of the deceased. We are not an agency that finalises the legal heirs. Once the matter among these so-called wives is resolved by the court about the legal heir, we will transfer the property in the name of the wife or relative who will have court orders,” said the same official.