India News | Land ‘scam’ uncovered in Jammu; FIRs registered against officials

Jammu, Sep 11 (PTI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday claimed to have unearthed a land fraud involving over 310 kanals of managed land in the area, which was allegedly taken over by the land mafia in connivance with government officials, an official said.

A total of 10 FIRs were registered, followed by searches at 12 locations in Jammu and adjoining areas, an anti-corruption agency spokesperson said.

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He said that the ACB was successful in exposing the land fraud in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal areas of Jammu district. Another land fraud involving 210 kanals of managed land was exposed more than two months ago.

“Information has been received that the administered land spread over thousands of kanals in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal Jammu was fraudulently grabbed by the land mafia in connivance with revenue and police officials. The revenue records were manipulated and the land was sold to different people,” the spokesperson said.

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He said that formal verification revealed that the proxies were obtained from several Pakistan-occupied Kashmir refugees through land grabbers. They were lured with the promise of providing additional land and handing over money ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000.

Subsequently, officials of the Tax and Customs Administration and the Management Service made additions or additions to the tax administration with regard to additional pieces of managed land, by purely abusing their official position.

These plots were then fraudulently sold by the operators and the lawyers’ holders to various individuals, including their own gang leaders and members, resulting in a huge loss to the government, the spokesman said.

The ACB has registered 10 formal cases for investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, namely criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and fraud, he said.

Investigations are still underway into the remaining land seized by the land mafia, he added.

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