Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 28: Additional Sessions Judge Baramulla, Jatinder Singh Jamwal, who is having powers of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, today deferred the orders on framing of charges in the much publicized Gulmarg land scam for June 25.
A battery of lawyers representing the high profile accused Mehboob Iqbal, former Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan, former Deputy Commissioner Baramulla (presently Commissioner/Secretary Cooperatives Department), Sarmed Hafiz, the then Joint Director Tourism Department, Rafiq Ahmad, the then Assistant Commissioner Revenue Baramulla, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, the then Naib Tehsildar Kunzar, Garib Singh, the then Tehsildar Tangmarg, Farooq Ahmad Shah, the then Additional Deputy Commiss-ioner Baramulla and more than eight top hoteliers of Kashmir valley today filed their written arguments before the Additional Sessions Judge Baramulla in support of their arguments advanced at the stage of charge/discharge.
After receiving the written arguments from the defence lawyers, the court deferred orders on framing of charges for June 25.
It is pertinent to mention here that Gulmarg land scam came into limelight in the year 2009 when Vigilance Organization registered FIR No.08/2009 on March 6, 2009 against the then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal, Baseer Khan, the then Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Garib Singh, the then Tehsildar Tangmarg, Farooq Ahmed Shah, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner (now retired), Sarmed Hafiz, the then Joint Director Tourism Department, Rafiq Ahmed, the then Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Baramulla, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, the then Naib Tehsildar Kunzar and the beneficiaries Abdul Hamid Dar, Sayed Msadik Shah, Mohd Ibrahim Khan, Essar Smith, Nasik Ahmad Mir, Mohd Afzal Khandey, Gh. Mohammad Matee, Mushtaq Ahmad and Mansoor Ahmed Burra.
According to the FIR, the accused public servants entered into criminal conspiracy with the beneficiaries to illegally possess and vest the ownership on the land in Gulmarg estate when the beneficiaries were not eligible under J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownership Rights to the Occupants) Act, 2001 commonly known as Roshni Act.
After registration of the FIR No.08/2009 VOK, some of the accused sought the quashment of FIR in Srinagar Wing of the High Court. However, the plea was dismissed and Vigilance Organization was directed to go ahead with the investigation.
The Vigilance Organization, after completion of investigation, sought the sanction for prosecution from the State Government but due to lackadaisical approach the sanction was delayed. On the directions of the Division Bench, the Vigilance Organization produced a challan under Section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act in the court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Srinagar, which transferred the challan to the court of Additional Sessions Judge, Baramulla in view of conferment of powers under Prevention of Corruption Act upon this court.
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