High-profile land scam: Four Revenue officers, broker booked by Crime Branch Kashmir
Crime Branch files charge sheet against ACR, senior Revenue officials in land fraud case
Srinagar, December 21: The Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a charge sheet in a high-profile land fraud case, naming four senior Revenue officials and a private land broker for their alleged involvement in manipulating official records to facilitate illegal land transactions in Srinagar.
According to officials, the charge sheet in FIR No. 08/2021 has been presented before the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Srinagar, under multiple sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, including cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, read with provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case marks a significant development in the investigation into alleged misuse of official authority within the Revenue Department.
Those charge sheeted include Nusrat Aziz, then Tehsildar Settlement, Srinagar; Shahbaz Bodha, then Tehsildar South, Srinagar and currently serving as Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Pulwama; Mohammad Yaseen Kalla, then Patwari Estate Balhama; Ashiq Ali, then Patwari Settlement, Srinagar; and Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, a private land broker and resident of Nowgam, Srinagar.
The case originated from a complaint by purchasers who alleged that they had legally bought two plots of land measuring one kanal and seven marlas each, along with an additional fourteen and a half marlas, located at Balhama, Srinagar. The land was purchased through duly registered sale deeds executed by the accused land broker, and possession was formally handed over to the buyers. Mutations reflecting the transfer of ownership were also lawfully attested in their favour.
However, the investigation revealed that the accused, acting in criminal conspiracy, fraudulently tampered with revenue records and illegally cancelled the valid mutations. This manipulation, according to investigators, resulted in the restoration of ownership rights in favour of the seller, enabling the same land parcels to be resold to other parties. The alleged actions caused significant financial loss to the original purchasers while generating unlawful gains for the accused.
The Crime Branch further found that fresh basic mutations were attested in favour of the land broker on predated documents at a time when the concerned revenue officers were not even posted within the jurisdiction of the relevant tehsil or estate. Investigators described this as a clear abuse of official position and a deliberate attempt to legitimise illegal transactions through forged and fabricated records.
Officials stated that the investigation involved a detailed examination of official revenue files, documentary evidence and related records, which collectively established sufficient material to substantiate the commission of cognisable offences. The charge sheet has now been submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court for judicial scrutiny and further legal proceedings.
The case is being seen as a serious reminder of the vulnerabilities within land administration systems and underscores the need for strict oversight and accountability in matters involving property rights and public records.
