ACB registers 10 FIRs against tax officials, land grabbing and pipelines – Statetimes

More than 310 cases of canal land fraud discovered

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: As the J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) continues its tirade against the nexus of revenue officials with the land mafia, it has yet again scored a major success in busting the land fraud racket. It found that around 310 kanals of custodial land in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal areas of Jammu district had been seized by the land mafia in connivance with the officials and officers of the Custody, Revenue and Police departments.
Earlier, the ACB had unearthed a land fraud involving about 210 kanals of management land, in which 5 FIRs were registered.
Inputs were received that Custodian land in thousands of Kanals situated in Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal Jammu, has been fraudulently grabbed by the land grabbers/gangsters in connivance with Revenue and police officers/officials. Revenue records have been manipulated and land has been sold to various persons.
ACB conducted a formal investigation which revealed that in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, FORM 3-A (Form Alf) along with Powers of Attorney (POAs) were obtained from several POK refugees, to entice them with additional lands and provide them with ready money ranging from ?5,000 to ?50,000 through the channels of land grabbers. Thereafter, additions/insertions were made in respect of additional tracts of administered lands in the revenue records by the officers/officials of the Revenue and Administration Department, through sheer abuse of their official position. These lands were sold through the channels and power of attorney holders to various persons including their own gang leaders and members, by using fraudulent means, resulting in huge loss to the government. In view of the finding of apparent nexus between criminal elements/land grabbers and the revenue authorities/custodians/officials in alienation of custodian land through fraudulent means, ACB has registered 10 formal FIRs with PS ACB Central for investigation under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and fraud.
During the investigation, after the Special Anti-Corruption Judge in Jammu issued search warrants, search teams comprising ACB officials, independent witnesses and magistrates were sent to about a dozen locations in Jammu and adjoining areas.
Besides the 10 FIRs registered, verification is still underway to unearth the remaining seized lands seized by the land mafia in collusion with officials and officers of the income tax, police and Custody Department.