Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 9: Notwithstanding district administration ordering an inquiry into grabbing and damaging of State land near Bajalta Railway Station few days back, the land mafia again raised its ugly head in the area late last night and attempted to carry out illegal activity by pressing heavy machinery. However, the bid was foiled by the civil administration with the assistance of police and an FIR has been lodged at Nagrota Police Station to take stern action against the land grabbers and those encouraging them.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that at around 8.30 pm yesterday Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Ajeet Kumar Sahu received an information that land mafia had pressed heavy machinery into the service in order to grab and damage the State land falling under Khasra Number 219 of village Pargalta near Bajalta Railway Station.
Acting swiftly on the information, Deputy Commissioner deputed Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Sher Singh and Tehsildar Jammu Sanjay Badyal along with other revenue officers to the spot to take cognizance of the illegal activity. On the request of the Deputy Commissioner, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jammu, Atul Goel also deputed SP Rural Jammu, M L Kaith for providing assistance to the civil administration in taking action against the land mafia.
On witnessing police and other vehicles approaching the area, persons engaged by the land mafia in grabbing and damaging the State land escaped from the spot leaving behind the JCBs, which were being used to carry out the illegal activity of grabbing and damaging the State land, sources said, adding police immediately seized the JCBs and shifted them to the concerned Police Station.
This morning, on the directions of the Deputy Commissioner, Tehsildar Jammu got an FIR lodged against the persons indulged in encroachment over the State land falling under Khasra No.219 at village Pargalta.
‘Some miscreants have encroached and damaged the immovable public property——the State land by way of cutting/leveling of land recorded as Gair Mumkin Pahar as such FIR shall be lodged against the miscreants for damaging the public property as well as for trespass”, reads a formal complaint addressed to SSP Jammu by Tehsildar Jammu. Along with the complaint, the civil administration also furnished the copies of the revenue papers in respect of the land.
Acting on the complaint, Nagrota Police registered FIR No.16/2014 under Section 447-A RPC and Section 3(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Property (Prevention of Damage) Act, 1985.
“Yesterday’s abortive attempt clearly indicates how much strong network the land-mafia has developed. This also reveals that those having interest in the land have no hesitation in taking law into their hands in order to grab the land”, sources said, adding “the land-mafia had the impression that their illegal activity amidst heavy downpour would get unnoticed but the swiftness of the police and civil administration has foiled their design”.
They further said, “it seems that the mafia is also enjoying the patronage of influential persons and some police personnel otherwise they would have not dared to make another attempt to grab the State land especially when administration has already taken cognizance of the same”, sources said. They, however, said that all those keeping eye on the State land under Khasra No.219 will get exposed on the conclusion of inquiry already ordered by the Deputy Commissioner Jammu.
It is pertinent to mention here that preliminary inquiry has already pointed towards the criminal conspiracy between the subordinate revenue officials and certain private persons/land owners behind grabbing and damaging the State land.
The committee, which has been constituted to conduct inquiry, has the specific directions to examine the violation of rules/laws from various angles— revenue, criminal and service rules/conduct rules separately by mentioning the clauses. Moreover, it will fix the responsibilities of various revenue officials involved so that suitable disciplinary action is taken against them.
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