Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 14: In the much publicized Chattha-Sunjwan land scam, Crime Branch has registered a case against the officers/officials of Revenue Department as per the directions of the Division Bench of State High Court which had asked the DGP to monitor the investigation.
According to the FIR, a written communication dated 18.08.2015 regarding encroachment of Government land at Chatha-Sunjwan was sent by the Under Secretary to Government, General Administration Department to the Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department with a copy to the Inspector General of Police, Crime Branch.
In the communication, it was stated that the then Divisional Commissioner Jammu had, prima facie, established the transfer of the State land under Khasra No.1442 in violation of the rules and the standing orders on the basis of the tampered records. He had recommended regular department proceedings along with criminal action against the revenue officers/officials, the conspirators and the beneficiaries.
On the receipt of this communication, a preliminary verification was initiated in the Crime Branch and it was found that the land in question was reflected in the revenue records viz. Record of Rights and Jamabandi as both proprietary as well as State land. It was also found that the Fard-e-Intikhab of the land was not only issued in the year 2004-05 by the identified revenue officers/officials but was also issued by the revenue officials in the year 1984 too besides a number of entries/insertions with regard to the status of the land were also found to have been made as the land was shown reflected twice on the same register in the Record of Rights of 1979-80 BK.
One entry was showing the ownership of Bachitar Singh and the other showing it as the State land and in Jamabandi 1998-99 BK the land was shown reflected through Khewat No.19 Khata No. 406 as proprietary land /Maqbooza Malkaan and again reflected vide Khewat No. 85 khata No. 636 as State land. As per Girdawri records since 1952 till date the land is shown vacant and as per mutation records the land has been shown mutated vide mutation No. 919 as Virasti intikaal.
“It transpired during the course of verification that the revenue officers/officials in furtherance of a criminal conspiracy and in lieu of some pecuniary benefits had made multiple insertions in the revenue records from time to time to favour/disfavor the owners as well as the State”, the Crime Branch said.
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