Srinagar: J&K Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Wednesday claimed to have unearthed a major land scam, wherein around 310 kanals of Custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal area of Jammu district has been found usurped by the land mafia in connivance with the officers/officials of Custodian, Revenue and Police departments.
Earlier, the ACB had unearthed a land scam involving around 210 kanals of Custodian land, following which five FIRs were registered in this regard.
In a statement issued here, the ACB said that inputs were received that Custodian land situated at Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal Jammu, has been fraudulently grabbed by the land-grabbers, gangsters in connivance with the Revenue and Police officers/officials.
The revenue records have been tempered and land has been sold to various persons, it said.
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 ranging from Rs 5000 to Rs 50,000 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/officers of the Revenue and Custodian departments, by sheer abuse of their official positions.
These lands were then 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, the ACB statement said.
“Owing to the establishment of prima facie nexus of the criminal elements/land-grabbers and the Revenue/Custodian officers/officials in alienation of Custodian land through fraudulent means, ACB has registered 10 formal case FIRs in Police Station ACB Central for investigation under the provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and fraud,” it said.
During the course of investigation, after obtaining the search warrants from the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu, search teams comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses, magistrates were dispatched to around 12 locations throughout Jammu and its adjoining areas, the statement said.
“In addition to 10 FIRs registered, 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 departments,” the statement reads.
