J&K ACB busts another major land scam; 8 FIRs registered
Srinagar, Aug 12 (KINS): In yet another major breakthrough, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has exposed a large-scale land scam involving the illegal grab of Custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal areas of Jammu district.
ACB in a statement issued to KINS said that acting on specific inputs, it uncovered a nexus between land grabbers, Form Alaf holders, and officials of the Revenue and Custodian departments, leading to fraudulent mutations and sales of government land.
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According to the ACB, thousands of kanals of Custodian land were illegally usurped by the land mafia with the connivance of certain Revenue and police officials. Records were tampered with, and the land was sold to various buyers through fraudulent means.
Earlier verification had already led to the registration of 16 FIRs for similar scams involving over 600 kanals of land. In the latest verification, it was found that even though certain displaced persons from PoJK had already been allotted land, their relatives — not entitled under law — fraudulently obtained additional Custodian land through forged or non-existent government orders. These illegal mutations were then used to sell the land, causing huge losses to the state exchequer.
Following the establishment of a prima facie case, the ACB has now registered eight more FIRs under provisions of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, along with charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud. Those named include several former Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars, Patwaris, Girdawars, and private beneficiaries.(KINS)
