JAMMU, Nov 8: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has exposed another significant land scam in Jammu, this time involving the alleged encroachment and illegal sale of approximately 40 kanals of Custodian land. This scandal reportedly involves a network of revenue officials accused of conspiring with land grabbers to manipulate official records and secure land under false pretenses. This revelation follows a prior investigation by the ACB, where nearly 500 kanals of Custodian land were also found illegally occupied, resulting in the registration of 15 FIRs.
An ACB official revealed that a complaint was filed regarding the alleged sale of thousands of kanals of Custodian land in the Jammu district areas of Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal. The complaint implicated certain revenue officers who are suspected of aiding land grabbers by tampering with official land records. Following the complaint, the ACB launched a formal verification process to substantiate the claims.
According to ACB sources, the investigation uncovered a scheme wherein fraudulent land ownership documents, including Form 3-A (Form Alf) and Powers of Attorney (PoAs), were illicitly secured from PoJK refugees. The conspirators allegedly promised the refugees additional land and provided immediate cash payouts through intermediaries connected to the land grabbers. These intermediaries reportedly facilitated the acquisition of documents under false pretenses, enabling land grabbers to claim Custodian land fraudulently.
Further investigation revealed that officials within the Revenue and Custodian Departments allegedly altered revenue records to legitimize these fraudulent transactions. These tampered records allowed the sale of the land to various individuals, including leaders of organized land-grabbing syndicates, resulting in considerable financial loss to the government.
Based on preliminary findings, the ACB registered FIR No. 20/2024 at the Police Station Central J&K, invoking Sections 7, 13(1)(a), and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018), along with criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud charges. Those named in the FIR include Patwaris Pranav Dev Singh and Rahaul Kai; Naib Tehsildar Aqeel Ahmed; Rajinder Sharma and Varinder Gupta of Marh and Talab Tillo, Jammu; Jagdish Chander of Flora Nagbani, Marh, Jammu; and Maqbool Choudhary, among other officials from the Revenue and Custodian Departments.
Following the registration of the FIR, the ACB obtained search warrants from the Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Jammu. Search teams comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses, and magistrates were deployed to six locations across Jammu and nearby areas to gather additional evidence related to the case.
To date, 16 FIRs have been lodged in connection with this case, and verification efforts are ongoing to identify further instances of illegally occupied Custodian land. The ACB official noted that the investigation aims to uncover the full extent of the illegal land occupation and sale scheme, highlighting the alleged collusion among officials in the Revenue, Police, and Custodian Departments.
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