Srinagar: After almost 25 years, Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday said to have produced a charge-sheet against 22 persons for withdrawal of fraudulent payments by way of making insertions and tampering with the revenue records in Budgam.
It reminds one of a famous couplet of famed Urdu poet, Mirza Ghalib, when he said:
Hum Ne Mana Ki Tagaful Na Karo Ge Lekin,
Koun Jeeta Hai Tere Zulf Ke Sar Hone Tak.
“We know, you will not delay the things by intention, but these will get delayed and how many of us will be surviving then,” roughly trasnslated.
“Anti Corruption Bureau produced charge sheet before the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Srinagar in Case FIR No. 18/2009 under Section 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) of J&K PC Act Svt. 2006 and Section 120-B,467,468,471 RPC against 22 accused persons, including 02 Collectors of LAWDA, 04 other public servants (now retired) and 16 beneficiaries,” a spokesman said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The instant case was registered on the basis of outcome of a Joint Surprise Check (JSC) conducted by ACB into the allegation of abuse of official position by the officers/officials of Rukhs and Farms department Kashmir by way of making insertions and tampering with the Revenue records which led to the subsequent drawl of fraudulent payments against the excess State land and shown allotted to Kamas (Tenants) at Rakh-e-Aerth Budgam, reads the statement.
“During investigation into compensation payments made for the rehabilitation of Dal dwellers under Govt. order No. 56-Rev(S) of 2006, it was revealed that the officials of Revenue and Agriculture department conspired with certain beneficiaries (Kamas/tenants) to fraudulently inflate land records to claim excess compensation. These officials abused their positions to show excessive land possession in favour of beneficiaries leading to undue payments and losses to the state exchequer. The officials of Rakhs and Farms in connivance with officials of LAWDA and Revenue Department through tampering/insertions in revenue records and managed to inflate the quantum of land in possession of tenants (Kamas).
Through fraudulent mutations, the land in possession was shown as 60 kanals instead of 6 kanals under Khasra No. 1692, 40 kanals instead of 4 kanals under Khasra No. 1666/750 and 07 kanal-10 Marlas instead of 2 kanals under Khasra No. 1736,” it added.
Due to the inflated quantity of land the excessive payment to the Kamas/tenants was 38.20 lakhs and in this way, the officials, according to the statement, misused the official position and the losses were incurred against State Exchequer.
A case FIR No. 18/2009 was accordingly registered under J&K PC Act Svt. 2006 read with 120-B RPC in ACB Srinagar for further investigation,” the spokesman said.
“After registration of Case FIR No. 18/2009 in P/S ACB Srinagar Kashmir, the investigation of the case was concluded as Proved and after the accord of Govt. sanction for launching prosecution against the following 22 accused persons including the then 02 Collectors of LAWDA, 04 other public servants and 16 beneficiaries, the challan of the case was produced before the court of Special Anti-Corruption Judge Srinagar on 12.04.2025 for Judicial determination Abdul Majid Akhtar S/O Abdul Ahad Akhtar R/o Saraiballa Srinagar A/P Chanapora Srinagar, the then Patwari Rakhs & Farms (now retired), Zaffar Ahmad Hakak S/O Gh. Ahmad Hakak R/O DokaniSangeen Fatehkadal, Srinagar (Now Habib Colony Baghat Barzulla Srinagar), the then Assistant Director Rakhs & Farms Department (now retired), Manzoor Ahmad Rather S/O Gh. Hassan Rather R/O Dehrana Dooru District Anantnag (Senior Circle Inspector) Rakhs and Farms Department (now retired), Ali Mohd Wani S/O Abdul Gani Wani R/O Habbak Naseembagh Hazratbal Srinagar, the then Girdawar Rakhs & Farms Kashmir (now retired), Hafiz-ullah Shah S/O Peer Gh. Mohd Shah R/O Khiagam Pulwama, the then Collector LAWDA (now retired), Mohd Hussain Mir S/O Qasim Ali Mir R/O S.K. Colony Sector 3rdQamarwari Srinagar, the then Collector LAWDA (now retired), Aga Syed Mussa S/O Aga Syed Hussain R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Aqueel S/O Aga Syed Hussain R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Mohsin S/O Aga Syed Mustafa R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Ali S/O Aga Syed Mustafa R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Hassan S/O Aga Syed Mustafa R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Ahmad S/O Aga Syed Mustafa R/O Budgam, Aga Syed Rohullah S/O Aga Syed Mehdi R/O Budgam, Mohd Sadiq Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal, Bemina, Mohd Talib Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal,Bemina, Ali Mohd Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal Bemina, Gh. Hussain Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal Bemina, Abdul Rahim Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal Bemina, Hyder Ali Wani S/O Hassan Wani R/O Durbal Bemina, Nazir Ahmad Wani S/O Gh. Ahmad R/O Durbal Bemina, Gh Rasool Wani S/O Gh. Ahmad Wani R/O Durbal Bemina and Ahamadullah Dar S/O Gh. Mohd Dar R/O Kolipora Bemina (expired), the statement said.
Interestingly the statement itself indicates how lousy the performance of anti corruption in J&K is. Case was registered in 2009 and action is being taken in 2025, hilarious. Most of the accused are either retired or some of them have passed away.
