Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) lodged two more FIRs on Wednesday in connection with an alleged multi-crore-rupee custodian land scam in Jammu district, saying the latest cases are part of a wider probe in which 27 FIRs were earlier registered over fraudulent alienation of more than 1,000 kanals of government land.
The fresh cases relate to alleged illegal transfer of custodian land in the Bhalwal and Amb areas of Jammu district through forged allotment orders, fabricated revenue records and fraudulent mutations, involving a nexus of revenue officials, Form Alaf holders, land grabbers, conduits and beneficiaries, officials said.
They said the ACB had received inputs that custodian land spread across Asarwan, Mishriwala, Bhalwal and R S Pura was illegally grabbed in connivance with officials of the revenue and custodian departments. A preliminary verification revealed large-scale tampering with revenue records and sale of government land to private persons.
The agency said an earlier verification had established that more than 1,000 kanals of custodian land was shown as allotted to displaced persons on the basis of fake government orders. Many beneficiaries were allegedly not entitled to additional land but secured allotments through fraudulent means with the help of Form Alaf holders and revenue officials.
Based on those findings, the ACB had earlier registered 27 FIRs, all of which are under investigation. The agency said the latest cases emerged during further scrutiny of the same land “scam”.
According to the ACB, fresh verification has found that several families displaced from areas now in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) had already received land under the rehabilitation policy but subsequently, managed to obtain mutations of additional custodian land in Bhalwal without any valid orders from the government or the Provisional Rehabilitation Office (PRO).
The bureau said no such allotment orders were found to have been issued by the PRO. After securing the illegal mutations, the beneficiaries allegedly transferred the land directly or through attorney holders and middlemen to various purchasers, causing a substantial loss to the government exchequer.
The ACB registered an FIR under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code against three revenue officials — then patwari Altaf Hussain, then girdawar Amjid Malik and then naib tehsildar Aqeel Ahmad — besides private individuals Mohan Singh, Rabina Kouser and Nazir Hussain, for their alleged role in the fraudulent alienation of about 12 kanals and three marlas of custodian land.
In a separate development, the bureau also lodged an FIR after verifying a complaint alleging fraudulent mutations and illegal conferment of ownership rights over about 15 kanals and eight marlas of land in Amb village of Bhalwal tehsil.
The verification found that revenue officials, allegedly in a criminal conspiracy with beneficiary Rashpal Singh and others, abused their official positions to attest illegal mutations, resulting in wrongful gain to private individuals and corresponding loss to the government, the ACB said.
The second FIR names former patwari Baldev Raj, former naib tehsildar Pawan Kumar Kohli, Singh and others.
The ACB said investigations in both the fresh cases have been taken up to establish the complete conspiracy, identify other beneficiaries and determine the role of all officials and private persons involved.
