IG Registration J&K appointed Inquiry Officer
Houses, offices of advocates, cyber cafe owners searched
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Sept 9: Sleuths of Crime Branch Jammu conducted raids in Bishnah and Greater Kailash areas here today to unearth a multi crores unlocked e-stamp usage scam.
Taking cognisance of the matter, Government has appointed Inspector General of Registration, J&K, as the inquiry officer to conduct a thorough probe into the matter and complete the inquiry by September 16.
Sources told the Excelsior that a Crime Branch team headed by SSP Crime Branch, Jammu, Shailender Kumar, assisted by DySP Shazia Akhtar, along with a posse of security personnel raided the premises of two advocates in Chak Hasla, Bishnah and Greater Kailash, Jammu.
A residential property and a cyber cafe run by two brothers in Bishnah town were also searched during the raids, they said. The owners of the cyber cafe have been identified as Arun Dev Singh and Deepak Jamwal.
As per sources, the raids were conducted on the basis of several complaints lodged with Crime Branch Jammu regarding the usage of tampered unlocked e-stamp papers for the registration of several acres of land in favour of the beneficiaries in the SDM South office using online software, thereby causing a loss of several crores to the state exchequer.
In e-stamp, locked means an e-stamp paper is registered. Applicants cannot edit the content or cancel the application once locked. Applicants cannot even claim the refund once the e-stamp paper is locked while as unlocked means an e-stamp paper is on preliminary view and it can be edited or tampered with.
During the raids, the Crime Branch Jammu team has recovered several incriminating documents and gadgets from the houses and the offices of the advocates and the owners of the cyber cafe, sources said.
“No person has been arrested in the case thus far,” added sources.
SSP Crime Branch, Shailender Kumar, didn’t reply to the repeated phone calls of the Excelsior to confirm the development.
Meanwhile, in order to probe the malpractices, Government has appointed Sheikh Arshad Ayub, Inspector General of Registration, J&K as the Inquiry Officer, and asked him to complete the enquiry within seven days i.e. by September 16.
The inquiry officer has been asked to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances and malpractices associated with “unlocked e-stamp usage” at Registration office South 1 Jammu and other offices (if any).
He will examine the detailed facts of the issue and take necessary corrective steps, if any, for the improvement of online software and formulate a detailed action plan in consultation with the DC Stamps to check and plug any misuse of online system immediately.
“The inquiry officer shall be at liberty to utilize the services of any other Registrar/Sub-Registrar/Revenue Officer to complete the inquiry in seven days,” read an order issued by the Secretary to the Government, Revenue Department, Dr Piyush Singla.
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