KD NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, Sep 11: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched a major crackdown on corruption with the discovery of a large-scale land scam involving the illegal acquisition of around 310 kanals of Custodian land in Jammu’s Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal areas.
According to a statement from the ACB, the scandal reveals an elaborate scheme involving collusion between land mafia and officials from the Revenue, Custodian, and Police departments. Investigations have uncovered that these officials, in collaboration with the land mafia, manipulated revenue records and sold the land to various individuals, including members of their own network.
The fraudulent activity involved the misuse of FORM 3-A (Form Alf) and power of attorney documents, which were obtained from refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under false promises of additional land and quick financial returns ranging from ?5,000 to ?50,000. These documents were then used to illegally transfer Custodian land.
This latest discovery follows a previous case in which the ACB uncovered the illegal occupation of 210 kanals of Custodian land, leading to five FIRs. In response to the new evidence, the ACB has registered 10 FIRs under the Prevention of Corruption Act, including charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud.
Search teams, comprising ACB officers, independent witnesses, and magistrates, have conducted operations at 12 locations across Jammu following search warrants issued by the Special Anti-Corruption Court.
The ACB has pledged to continue its investigation, anticipating the uncovering of additional land scams as the probe into the illegal occupation of Custodian land progresses. This operation represents a significant step in dismantling the corrupt alliance between land mafia and government officials, aiming to recover the financial losses inflicted on the state.
