*HC seeks ATR from DC within 4 weeks
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 26: A major land scam involving several serving and retired police officers has surfaced in Jammu district with State High Court directing the Deputy Commissioner Jammu to file Action Taken Report (ATR) on the report submitted by the Regional Director, Surveys and Land Records within a period of four weeks.
The first step towards unearthing of major land scam was initiated when on December 28, 2013, the then Deputy Commissioner forwarded a complaint of some residents of Gujjar Colony, Sunjwan to the Regional Director, Surveys and Land Records, who is also Ex-Officio Settlement Officer, Jammu for demarcation of Khasra Nos 553 to 558 of village Channi Himmat and Khasra No.372 of village Sunjawan and adjoining Khasra Nos.
This complaint was based on the bone of contention between two groups of people over an eight marlas of land actually situated in village Channi Himmat. While one group was claiming that this plot was situated in village Channi Himmat under Khasra Number 556, the another group led by Abdul Gaffar and Ibrahim Choudhary, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch was claiming that the plot actually falls in Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan.
After detailed exercise and demarcation of Khasra No.372, the Regional Director, Land Records and Surveys, R K Shavan submitted preliminary report to the Deputy Commissioner on November 13, 2014 mentioning that Khasra No.372 of Sunjwan over which the occupants have papers doesn’t match with the ground position and the occupants have in fact occupied Khasra No.556 of village Channi Himmat under the garb of Government Order No.332-UD of 1978 dated June 29, 1978 whereby plots were sanctioned in favour of 81 families in Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan.
In the preliminary report, the Regional Director, Land Records and Surveys mentioned that Mohd Ibrahim, a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Crime Branch has possession over the State land. “Several people including police officers are in possession of State land in village Channi Himmat in the garb of regularization order issued by Government in Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan and DySP Mohd Ibrahim is one among them”, the report said, adding “even after encroaching State land in village Channi Himmat, this police officer is coming forward to put claim in Sunjawan village, which needs to be further investigated”.
In this report, the Regional Director even stressed that the revenue officials and the police officials should be identified and recommended to the Government for stringent action. His report infuriated several police officers, who too had constructed houses on the State land in village Channi Himmat and in order to sabotage and influence the enquiry, they got FIR No.20 dated April 6, 2015 registered against the Regional Director on frivolous grounds.
However, undeterred by the efforts of the police officers to scandalize the things, the Regional Director completed the enquiry and on August 11, 2015 submitted the same to the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and furnished the copies of the same to the Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Divisional Commissioner Jammu and other concerned authorities.
In the final report, the Regional Director has mentioned the names of several serving and retired police officers, who have been found to have encroached the State land and subsequently caused loss to the State exchequer.
One of the serving officers is DySP Ibrahim Choudhary, who was also pointed out in the preliminary report. A Police Officer holding senior position in Crime Branch and posted in Jammu and Staff Officer to IG Crime, who also remained SSP Doda and Reasi, Mohd Amin, DySP Ministerial and Head Constable Mohd Hanief are among the serving officers while as the retired police officers are Abdul Gani (retd SP) and Gulzar Choudhary (retd SP).
A senior officer serving in Crime Branch Jammu managed Khasra Girdwari in the name of his father for land measuring one kanal and 18 marlas and another mutation for land measuring one kanal and nine marlas under Roshni Scheme in the year 2008 despite the fact that Khasra No.119/120 as per Khasra Girdwari is State land recorded as “Shar-e-Aam” (common pathway).
The Regional Director has recommended that the Department of Housing and Urban Development should get audit of the quantum of plots allotted by the Government in 1978 and find out the unauthorized occupants over Khasra No.372 of village Sunjwan. He has also suggested that JDA authorities may be asked to find out the total land which has been unauthorizedly occupied by the persons in this Khasra number without allotment and accountability shall be fixed for not taking action against such encroachments over a period of time.
He has also suggested constitution of Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Home Department to see whether the officers and officials having encroached the land have sought permission from the Government for constructing houses and whether they have reflected this in the annual property returns. The Regional Director has also recommended eviction of encroachers from State land in Khasra Number 555 to 558 of village Channi Himmat.
Meanwhile, High Court, in a petition filed by Regional Director, challenging FIR registered against him by Crime Branch for exposing police officers, has issued notices to the respondents returnable within four weeks.
Justice Tashi Rabstan has restrained the respondents (Crime Branch) from finalizing or filing challan in this FIR with the directions not to harass the petitioner unnecessarily. He has also directed the Deputy Commissioner Jammu to file Action Taken Report on the basis of the final report dated August 11, 2015 on the next date of hearing. With this, the High Court has started monitoring the developments in the FIR No.20 as well as action on the report of the Regional Director.
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