Massive Land Scam Unearthed: ACB Registers Case Against Former JKCHC MD and Revenue Officials.
||Black & White Digital News||
||Parvinder Singh February 20,2025 ||
Srinagar : In a shocking revelation of large-scale corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against the former Managing Director of the Jammu & Kashmir Cooperative Housing Corporation (JKCHC) and several Revenue Department officials for the illegal occupation and allotment of state land in Jammu’s Bain Bajalta area.
According to an official statement issued by the ACB, a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) was conducted to investigate allegations that the JKCHC had acquired 392 kanals of private land for establishing a housing colony. However, the enquiry revealed that in the process, the corporation, in collusion with Revenue Department officials, illegally occupied 584 kanals of state land, including Kah Charai, Maqbuza Sarkar, and Jammu Development Authority (JDA) land.
Fraudulent Land Grabbing Exposed:
The ACB statement highlighted that JKCHC management, in connivance with officers and officials of the Revenue Department, manipulated land records and unlawfully occupied 111 kanals and 17 marlas of state land. Additionally, another 100 kanals and 15 marlas were usurped under Khasra Nos. 16 min, 17 min, 219 min, and 573/34 min, land that was vested with its rightful owners under the J&K Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, and Government Order No. S-432.
Investigations uncovered that the officials involved had conspired to facilitate the fraudulent transfer of land rights, blatantly violating government provisions. By abusing their official positions, they misrepresented facts to establish a housing colony, thereby conferring undue benefits upon themselves, JKCHC, and various beneficiaries.
Officers, Beneficiaries in the Dock:
The ACB has named several officials, including the then Managing Director of JKCHC, the then Tehsildar Jammu, the then Naib Tehsildar Sidhra, and the then Patwari Halqa Bain Bajalta, among others, as key accused in the case. The involved individuals have been booked under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006, along with Sections 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using forged documents), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
An FIR No. 02/2025 has been registered at the ACB Central Police Station, and further investigation is underway to unravel the full extent of the scam and identify additional culpable individuals.
A Systematic Loot of Public Resources:
This case brings to light yet another example of how deep-rooted corruption has plagued Jammu and Kashmir’s land management system. The illegal encroachment of state land for personal and commercial gains by high-ranking officials showcases the extent of bureaucratic malfeasance.
While the ACB’s action is a significant step toward accountability, questions remain on whether all culprits will be brought to justice. The people of Jammu & Kashmir now look to the authorities to ensure stringent punishment for the guilty and safeguard public resources from future plunder.
As the investigation progresses, the ACB is expected to summon the accused for questioning, and more names may emerge in this shocking land scam that has rattled the administrative corridors of the Union Territory.
