ACB registers two FIRs in Custodian Land Scam Cases in Jammu
JAMMU (KIMS) — The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered two fresh FIRs in connection with an alleged Custodian land scam in Jammu, accusing revenue officials, Form Alaf holders and beneficiaries of fraudulently grabbing government land through forged documents and illegal mutations.
According to an ACB statement, the cases relate to the alleged illegal alienation of Custodian land in Bhalwal and Amb areas of Jammu district by a nexus of land grabbers, Form Alaf holders and officials of the Custodian and Revenue departments.
The ACB said it had earlier received inputs that thousands of kanals of Custodian land at Asarwan, Mishriwala, Bhalwal and R.S. Pura had been fraudulently grabbed through manipulation of revenue records and subsequently sold to various persons.
During an earlier verification, the ACB found that more than 1,000 kanals of Custodian land had allegedly been shown as allotted to displaced persons on the basis of fake government orders, although the beneficiaries were not entitled to any additional land. Following the findings, 27 FIRs were registered and investigation in those cases is still in progress.
Further verification revealed that certain Pakistan/PoJK displaced families, who had already been allotted land, allegedly got additional Custodian land mutated in favour of their relatives in the Bhalwal area in connivance with Patwaris, Girdawars, Naib Tehsildars and Tehsildars without any government or Provisional Rehabilitation Office (PRO) orders or on the basis of forged allotment orders.
The ACB said verification established that no such allotment orders had been issued by the office of the PRO.
The land was subsequently sold directly or through attorney holders and other conduits to various persons by resorting to fraudulent means, allegedly causing huge loss to the government exchequer.
Based on the findings and after obtaining prior approval from the competent authority, the ACB registered FIR No. 09/2026 at Police Station ACB Central, Jammu, in connection with the alleged fraudulent alienation of about 12 kanals and three marlas of Custodian land.
The accused include then Patwari Altaf Hussain, then Girdawar Amjid Malik, then Naib Tehsildar Bhalwal Aqeel Ahmad, Mohan Singh, Rabina Kouser and Nazir Hussain.
The ACB said searches were launched at multiple locations immediately after registration of the case and other legal proceedings were initiated in accordance with law.
In another case, the ACB registered FIR No. 10/2026 after conducting verification into a complaint lodged by Kuldeep Singh alleging fraudulent mutations and illegal conferment of ownership rights over land at Village Amb in Bhalwal tehsil.
The verification revealed that revenue officials, in alleged conspiracy with beneficiary Rashpal Singh and others, fraudulently attested mutations conferring ownership rights over approximately 15 kanals and eight marlas of land, causing wrongful loss to the government exchequer.
The accused in the second FIR include then Patwari Baldev Raj, then Naib Tehsildar Pawan Kumar Kohli, beneficiary Rashpal Singh and others.
Further investigation in both cases is underway, the ACB said. — (KIMS)
