ACB unearths major land scams in Jammu, 5 FIRs registered
Search teams comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses and magistrates were dispatched to 16 locations throughout Jammu and its adjoining areas, which are still going on
The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday unearthed major land scams in Jammu district and registered five FIRs against officials of revenue, custodian and police departments, officials said.
In the alleged scams, custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal area of Jammu district have been found usurped by the land mafia in connivance with the officials of custodian, revenue and police department, ACB SSP Surinder Sharma said.
Inputs were received that custodian land in thousands of kanal situated at Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal have been fraudulently grabbed by the land grabbers and gangsters in connivance with the revenue and police officers, he added.
The revenue records were also tempered with and land was sold to various persons, said the SSP.
“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 were obtained from various POK refugees, alluring them of additional lands and providing them instant money ranging from ₹5000 to ₹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 of the Revenue and Custodian departments, by sheer abuse of their official positions,” he said.
These lands were 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, he added.
Owing to the establishment of, prima facie, nexus of the criminal elements, land grabbers and the officials, ACB has registered five FIRs for investigation under the provisions of prevention of corruption act, criminal conspiracy. cheating, forgery and fraud.
After obtaining search warrants from the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu, search teams comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses and magistrates were dispatched to 16 locations throughout Jammu and its adjoining areas, which are still going on. Further investigation is underway
