Davangere

In a shocking incident, cyber fraudsters have allegedly hacked the Davangere Municipal Corporation’s e-Swathu property management software, leading to the illegal approval of five properties without the knowledge of civic authorities. The breach, which reportedly took place nearly six months ago, has come to light only after an internal review raised suspicions over unauthorised entries in the system.

According to preliminary findings, the fraudsters gained access to the e-Swathu platform by misusing the login IDs and passwords of municipal officials. Using these credentials, they managed to generate and approve digital property records for five properties illegally. The approvals were processed in such a way that they initially escaped the attention of officials responsible for monitoring and verifying entries in the software.

The hacking incident was confirmed after authorities conducted a detailed examination of property approvals granted on the e-Swathu system.

During this verification, officials noticed discrepancies in certain records, prompting a deeper probe. It was then established that the system had been compromised and approvals were issued without following due process or physical verification.

What has added to the seriousness of the case is the fact that the cybercrime remained undetected for nearly six months, raising concerns over the security mechanisms in place to protect sensitive municipal data. The e-Swathu software is a critical digital platform used for maintaining property records, ownership details and tax-related information, making it a lucrative target for cybercriminals.

Following the revelation, K Nagaraj, Commissioner of Zone Office-1 of the Davangere Municipal Corporation, has filed a formal complaint at the CEN (Cyber, Economic and Narcotics) police station. The complaint seeks a thorough investigation into how the system was hacked, whose credentials were misused, and whether there was any internal involvement or negligence.

Officials have also revealed that e-Swathu operations within the Davangere Municipal Corporation limits are handled across three zonal offices. In light of the breach, authorities are now expected to conduct a comprehensive audit of all property approvals processed through the system in recent months. Police have initiated an investigation, and further action is likely once the extent of the fraud and financial implications are fully assessed.