Gulmarg land scam
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 12: In a major development in the much publicized Gulmarg land scam, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed supplementary charge-sheet confirming and ratifying its earlier investigation.
1st Additional Sessions Judge/Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Baramulla-Naseer Ahmed Dar on June 11, 2020 had directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to further investigate/examine the matter particularly the effect of the material/documents as referred by the High Court in its judgment dated October, 15, 2018 in case titled Mehboob Iqbal Versus State of J&K & others.
“The ACB shall investigate on the aspect what impact these documents/material would have with regard to the involvement of the accused in FIR No.08/2009 and file supplementary charge sheet/report before the court within a period of 4 months”, the Trial Court had directed.
When the matter came up for hearing on October 10 before the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla, the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a supplementary charge sheet wherein it has confirmed/ratified its earlier investigation. It has been divulged in the supplementary charge sheet that after further investigation the ACB has reached to a conclusion that the documents and the material sought to be relied upon by the accused the reference of which has been made by the High Court vide its order dated 15-10-2018 do not alter the culpability of the accused in the commission of crime.
The Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla has taken the supplementary charge sheet on record and now the matter is to be heard for framing of charge/discharge.
It may be recalled that Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) in 2009 had registered FIR No.08/2009 (infamous Gulmarg land scam) against 20 accused including Mehboob Iqbal, the then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan, the then Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Farooq Ahmed Shah, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Garib Singh, the then Tehsildar Tangmarg, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah, the then Naib-Tehsildar Kunzar and top hoteliers of Kashmir valley Mushtaq Ahmed Ganaie alias Chaya, Mushtaq Ahmed Burza, Manzoor Ahmed Burza, Manzoor Ahmed Khan and Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.
The records of Gulmarg land scam will be examined and put to sustained scrutiny and further investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in view of the recent landmark judgment of the Division Bench of J&K High Court in the infamous Roshini land scam as the Division Bench has categorically directed, “In all cases in which charge sheets stand filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in the courts, the CBI shall conduct further and thorough investigation, and, if necessary file additional charge sheets in those cases”.
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