Examiner Bureau | Jammu:
The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against a former Naib Tehsildar, a Patwari and certain private individuals for their alleged involvement in facilitating the wrongful occupation of State land at Gurha Brahmana village in Jammu.
Officials said the case was registered following the outcome of Verification No. 02/2024, initiated on a complaint lodged by Sohan Singh. The verification prima facie revealed that the accused public servants had allegedly misused their official positions and failed to discharge their duties in accordance with the law, thereby facilitating wrongful gain to private individuals and causing loss to the complainant and the State.
According to the complaint, Singh had purchased one kanal of land falling under Khasra No. 65-min through a registered sale deed dated January 17, 2005. Mutation No. 2229 was subsequently attested on February 18, 2005.
However, the verification revealed that the land actually delivered to and occupied by the complainant falls under Khasra No. 96, which is recorded as State land.
The ACB verification further indicated that the then Patwari, Babu Ram, and the then Naib Tehsildar, Ram Lal Sharma, allegedly acted in connivance with private individuals Chaman Lal and Ram Chand to facilitate the preparation and issuance of revenue documents on the basis of an unauthenticated Dasti Khaka, without properly verifying the original revenue records or the actual position of the land.
The investigation also revealed that the private individuals, through their respective attorney holders, Ram Pal and Kasturi Lal, allegedly executed the sale deed and handed over possession of land falling under Khasra No. 96 instead of the land covered by Khasra No. 65-min.
Officials said a report submitted by the Tehsildar, Jammu North, on July 10, 2026, further confirmed that the complainant was not in possession of the land recorded under Khasra No. 65-min but was occupying land falling under Khasra No. 96, which stands recorded as State land.
Accordingly, the ACB registered a case under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
Further investigation into the case is underway, officials said.
