Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered an FIR on Friday against a former Naib Tehsildar, a Patwari and certain private people for allegedly encroaching upon and selling state land at Gurha Brahmana village here, officials said.
The case was registered following verification in 2024, initiated on a complaint by Sohan Singh, which prima facie revealed abuse of official position by the accused public servants, resulting in wrongful gains to private persons and corresponding losses to the complainant and the government, they said.
According to the ACB, the complainant purchased one kanal of land under khasra number 65 through a registered sale deed dated January 17, 2005, followed by mutation attestation on February 18, 2005. However, verification revealed that the land actually delivered to and occupied by him falls under khasra number 96, which is recorded as state land, they said.
The investigation revealed that then Patwari Babu Ram and Naib Tehsildar Ram Lal Sharma, allegedly in connivance with private persons Chaman Lal and Ram Chand, facilitated the preparation and issuance of revenue documents based on unauthenticated documents, without properly verifying authentic revenue records and the land’s actual position, they said.
The private persons, through their attorney holders Ram Pal and Kasturi Lal, allegedly executed the sale deed and delivered possession of land falling under khasra number 96 instead of the land covered under khasra number 65. A report submitted by the Tehsildar, Jammu North, on July 10, 2026, also confirmed that the complainant did not have land under khasra number 65 but was occupying land under khasra number 96, recorded as state land, the ACB said.
Accordingly, the ACB registered a case under the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the RPC, they said. Officials said further investigation is underway.
In Jammu and Kashmir, a kanal is a traditional land-measurement unit inherited from the Dogra-era settlement system.
