Srinagar , Nov 08 ( KINS) : The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has achieved a significant breakthrough in uncovering a major land scam involving the illegal occupation of Custodian land in Jammu. The ACB has exposed the fraudulent nexus between revenue officers and the land mafia, revealing that approximately 40 kanals of Custodian land in the Asarwan area of Jammu district had been illegally seized by land grabbers.
This follows a prior investigation where over 500 kanals of Custodian land were also found to have been usurped, leading to the registration of 15 FIRs for further investigation.
The ACB received intelligence reports indicating that vast stretches of Custodian land in the Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal areas of Jammu were fraudulently captured by land mafia elements in collusion with revenue and police officers. The revenue records were tampered with, and the land was then sold to unsuspecting buyers.
Through a formal verification, it was found that as part of a criminal conspiracy, FORM 3-A (Form Alf) along with power of attorneys (POAs) were fraudulently obtained from POK refugees. These refugees were enticed with promises of additional land and immediate payments by intermediaries linked to the land mafia. Revenue and Custodian department officials then manipulated the records, adding false entries to reflect additional parcels of Custodian land. This land was subsequently sold to various buyers, including gang members, through fraudulent means, causing a massive loss to the government.
Given the involvement of both criminal land grabbers and corrupt officials in facilitating the illegal transfer of Custodian land, the ACB has filed FIR No. 20/2024 in P/S Central J&K, under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud. Those named in the FIR include:
Pranav Dev Singh, Patwari
Rahaul Kai, Patwari
Aqeel Ahmed, Naib Tehsildar
Rajinder Sharma S/o Jagdish Chander, Flora Nagbani Marh Jammu
Varinder Gupta S/o Banarsi Dass Gupta, Talab Tillo Jammu
Jagdish Chander S/O Dev Raj, Flora Nagbani Marh Jammu
Maqbool Choudhary S/o Haji Hameed, officials of the Revenue and Custodian departments, along with other accomplices.
In an ongoing investigation, ACB teams, authorized by the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu, have conducted searches across six locations in Jammu and surrounding areas. A total of 16 FIRs have been registered to date, with further investigations underway to uncover more illegally appropriated Custodian land.( KINS )
ACB exposes major land scam in Jammu involving revenue officials and land mafia
