Srinagar, Nov 08 (KNO): Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday said that it has exposed a nexus of revenue officers and land mafia, wherein around 40 kanals of custodian land in Asarwan area of Jammu has been found usurped by the land mafia.
According to a statement, issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the ACB earlier unearthed land scam involving more than 500 kanals of custodian land for which 15 FIRs have already been registered for investigation.
The statement reads that inputs were received that custodian land at Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal Jammu, has been fraudulently grabbed by the land mafia in connivance with the revenue and police officers.
"The revenue records have been tempered and land has been sold to various persons. ACB conducted a formal verification wherein it was found that in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, FORM 3-A (Form Alf) along with power of attorneys (POAs) were obtained from various PoK refugees, alluring them of additional lands and providing them instant money by the conduits of land grabbers, and thereafter insertions/additions regarding additional chunks of custodian lands were made in the revenue records by the officials of the revenue and custodian department, by sheer abuse of their official positions," it reads.
It added that the land was sold by the conduits and attorney holders to various persons including their own gang leaders and members, by resorting to fraudulent means, thereby causing a huge loss to the government exchequer.
"Owing to the establishment of, prima facie, nexus of the criminal elements/land grabbers and the revenue/custodian officers in alienation of custodian land through fraudulent means, ACB has registered formal case FIR No. 20/2024 in P/s Central J&K for investigation under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and fraud punishable u/s 7, 13 (1) (a) and 13(2) of PC Act, 1988 (amended in 2018) and sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC against Pranav Dev Singh, Patwari, Rahaul Kai, Patwari, Aqeel Ahmed, Naib Tehsildar, Rajinder Sharma S/o Jagdish Chander R/o Flora Nagbani Marh Jammu, Varinder Gupta S/o Banarsi Dass Gupta R/o H.No. F-41, Lane No. 6, Near Police Post, Talab Tillo Jammu, Jagdish Chander S/O Dev Raj R/o Flora Nagbani Marh Jammu, Maqbool Choudhary S/o Haji Hameed, officers/officials of revenue, custodian department and others."
It added that during the course of investigation, after obtaining the search warrant from the special judge anti corruption Jammu, search teams comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses, magistrates were dispatched to around six locations throughout Jammu and its adjoining areas.
"As of now around 16 FIRs have been registered for investigation while verification is still in progress to unearth the remaining usurped custodian land by land mafia in connivance with officers and officials of revenue, police and custodian department," it added—(KNO)