*HC directions being flouted at Police Station level
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 22: Creating impediments in implementation of directions from the highest court of the State, the Police Department is showing reluctance in extending assistance for demarcation of huge chunk of Jammu Development Authority land in Jammu and Samba districts. The non-cooperation has come to the fore even in the first round of the much needed exercise that too despite clear orders from the court thereby raising many doubts about completion of drive.
Taking into consideration the gravity of the matter and magnitude of the problem, Division Bench of the High Court vide order dated April 11, 2017 had directed the Jammu Development Authority as well as the Revenue Department of Jammu and Samba districts to coordinate their efforts for demarcation of 66436 kanals of the land by constituting special teams.
In order to ensure that there is no hurdle in carrying out the demarcation exercise, the Division Bench had directed that in case the special teams require any police help the same shall be provided by the Station House Officer of the concerned Police Station.
Accordingly, in compliance to these directions of the High Court, an extensive exercise was undertaken by the JDA along with Revenue Department in both Jammu and Samba districts simultaneously.
Official sources said that with prior information to SSP Samba, the teams started demarcation exercise in village Meen Sarkar of Bari Brahamana tehsil. However, some locals at the behest of land mafia obstructed the work and threatened the teams of dire consequences if they dared to continue work.
“The police personnel, who reached the spot, albeit after delay of several hours, instead of providing help to the teams in carrying out demarcation exercise openly abused the JDA staff thereby instigating the public”, sources said, adding “even some officials were manhandled by the public in the presence of police personnel as a result of which demarcation exercise had to be stopped forthwith”.
Quoting more instances of non-cooperation from the police, they said that Director Land Management of JDA some days back had requested Trikuta Nagar and Nagrota Police through official communications to depute some police personnel so that JDA is able to carry out recce in some areas under the jurisdiction of these police stations before launching formal demarcation/eviction drive.
However, till date no police assistance has been provided to the JDA and Revenue teams as a result of which demarcation exercise could not be started, sources informed, adding “not only this whenever the teams visit the concerned police stations with prior information for assistance they are compelled to wait for hours together on the pretext of non-availability of police personnel”.
“In this way, police has started showing reluctance in extending assistance for implementation of the directions issued by none else than the highest court of the State”, sources regretted. Not only on April 11, 2017, directions for providing necessary police assistance were issued by the High Court earlier also.
In the same Public Interest Litigation (PIL), the then Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Tashi Rabstan vide order dated December 10, 2014 while issuing directions for demarcation of JDA land had directed: “If demarcation teams face any resistance from any encroacher whosever powerful he may be then the DGP of the State is directed to send police help through various agencies”.
“The apprehension of resistance from mafia should be completely allayed by the timely police help without any bias so that the demarcation teams may discharge their duties in accordance with law without fear or ill will”, the DB had further directed.
Keeping in view the fact that huge chunk of land was required to be demarcated in both the districts, Director General of Police should issue explicit directions to all the police stations in Jammu and Samba so that JDA and Revenue Department teams are able to carry out the task assigned by the High Court in a time bound manner especially when land mafia is out to create obstacles, sources stressed.
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