SYSTEMATIC SIPHONING OF GOVT LAND
Yash Khajuria
Jammu, Aug 12: In a sweeping crackdown, the J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau has unearthed a massive Custodian land scam, filing eight fresh FIRs against 27 accused, including former Tehsildars, Patwaris, and private beneficiaries. The scandal involves the illegal alienation of 150 kanals of prime government land meant for displaced persons, siphoned off through forged documents and fake government orders.
According to officials, eight fresh FIRs have been lodged, naming 27 accused — including former Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars, Patwaris, Girdawars, and private beneficiaries — all accused of orchestrating the fraudulent usurpation of prime government property.
The scandal centers on the illegal alienation of 150 kanals of Custodian land in Bhalwal, Asarwan, and Mishriwala. This property, meant to be safeguarded for displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), was systematically siphoned off to ineligible individuals. Many of the accused allegedly forged or relied on fake government and PRO orders to mutate the land in their names. In a brazen twist, several beneficiaries were close relatives of those who had already received allotments decades ago — yet still conspired to grab more.
The accused include those once entrusted with protecting state property. Former Tehsildars Mohit Gupta and Farooq Khan stand accused of sanctioning dubious entries, while ex-Patwaris such as Suresh Sharma, Navjot Singh, Rashpal Singh, and Bashir Ahmad allegedly manipulated revenue records. Girdawars Iqbal Zargar and Hans Raj are believed to have facilitated the paper trail, while former Naib Tehsildars Sham Singh and Aqeel Ahmad are suspected of approving illegal mutations. Others, including private individuals such as Anjali Slathia of Akhnoor, Kamal Kohli of Kathua, and Jaspal Singh of Punjab, are accused of acting as conduits, brokering shady deals, and laundering the land into private hands. Two former officials — Narain Singh and Guldarshan Singh, now deceased — were allegedly part of the initial groundwork that enabled the racket to thrive.
Sources disclosed that after securing the fraudulent mutations, the accused either sold the land directly to unsuspecting buyers or routed it through attorney holders, reaping massive profits while inflicting crippling losses on the public exchequer.
Earlier ACB probes had already resulted in 16 FIRs involving over 600 kanals of land. This latest development further exposes the depth and reach of the criminal network.
The FIRs have been filed under the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, alongside charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud under the Ranbir Penal Code. Sources say the trail of illegal proceeds is being traced, with more names likely to surface as the probe tightens its grip.
