Major land scam unearthed in Jammu; ACB books revenue officials, land grabbers

JAMMU (KIMS) — The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday said it has unearthed a major land scam involving Custodian land in Jammu district and registered multiple FIRs against revenue officials, land grabbers, Form Alaf holders and beneficiaries.

According to ACB, large tracts of Custodian land in areas including Asarwan, Mishriwala, Bhalwal and R.S. Pura were allegedly usurped by a nexus of land mafia in connivance with revenue officials and Form Alaf holders.

ACB said verification revealed that over 1,000 kanals of Custodian land had been fraudulently shown as allotted to displaced persons through fake allotment orders, despite them not being entitled to such land.

The ACB had earlier registered 24 FIRs in the scam, and investigation is in progress.

Further investigation revealed that even where displaced persons had already been allotted land, their relatives (Form Alaf holders), in connivance with revenue officials, managed to get additional land mutated in their favour in Domana and R.S. Pura areas of Jammu district either without any valid government/Provisional Rehabilitation Office (PRO) orders or on the basis of fake orders.

ACB said no such allotment orders were issued by the PRO, and the land was later sold or transferred to other persons through fraudulent means, causing huge loss to the government exchequer.

During further verification, ACB established a prima facie nexus in the illegal alienation of about 20 kanals and 9 marlas of Custodian land, following which three fresh FIRs were registered at Police Station ACB Central J&K under provisions of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, along with charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and fraud.

The accused have been identified as: Waryam Singh, son of Shalo Ram, resident of Village Kotli Bhagwan Singh (Kuttu Chack), Tehsil R.S. Pura — then Patwari, Balak Ram, son of Late Buti Ram, resident of Village Tootray, Tehsil R.S. Pura — then Naib Tehsildar, Mohan Singh, son of Bhagwan Singh, resident of Nanak Nagar Jammu, Prem Singh, son of Churu Ram, resident of Baggan, Tehsil Bilawar, Kathua — then Patwari, Bharat Bushan Mehra, son of Harbans Lal, resident of Mamka, R.S. Pura, Rahul Kai, son of Late Deep Raj, resident of House No. 39, New Company Bagh Canal Road, Jammu — then Patwari, Saqib Saleem, son of Saleem Ahmed, resident of 54 Majheer, Thana Mandi Rajouri — then Tehsildar, Sat Pal, son of Nanak Chand, resident of Gadi Garh, Jammu and others.

ACB said further investigation into the scam is underway. — (KIMS)