Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 7: The much publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting alleged hushing up of Chatta Sunjwan land scam has taken a new turn with Crime Branch Jammu filing a fresh status report in the State High Court highlighting indifferent and non-cooperative attitude of revenue officers in providing the relevant records despite repeated requests.
The enquiry regarding Chatta Sunjwan land scam was entrusted to Crime Branch by the General Administration Department on the basis of the findings of the then Divisional Commissioner Jammu Shantmanu, who came out with astonishing revelations establishing tampering of revenue records with regard to 20 kanals of State land falling in Khasra No.1442 situated at village Sunjwan.
When the PIL of wide public importance came up for hearing before Division Bench comprising Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice B S Walia, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioner drew the attention of the court towards the latest status report filed by Crime Branch wherein the premier investigating agency has expressed its inability to complete the probe in view of the non-cooperative attitude of Revenue Department.
The status report highlights that in continuation to the earlier communications vide No.CBJ/DySP/ Hqrs/2015/15880 dated 21-09-2015, reminder No.6705-07 dated 12-04-2016, letter No.CBJ/AH/16/ 15293-94 dated 30-08-2016 and No.CBJ/AH/16/15710-11 dated 05-09-2016 were sent to the Deputy Commissioner Jammu/Tehsildar Bahu to provide requisite information/ records in respect of the land falling under Khasra No.1442 situated at village Sunjwan.
“The revenue authorities have been approached personally by the office of Crime Branch to obtain the records in respect of the land in question but despite repeated requests the revenue authorities have not provided the complete and authenticated records”, the status report said, adding “Tehsildar Bahu vide his letter No.124/08/TB dated 02-09-2016 has provided some of the records i.e. photocopy of the Jamabandi/Misal-e-Haqiet and Girdawari that too un-attested which is of no use”.
In this connection, once again the concerned revenue authorities have been requested to provide the original Misal-e-Haqiet for the year 1979-80 Bikrami constituted of Khewat No.13 and 35 and Jamabandi for the year 1998-99 Bikrami constituted for Khewat No.19 and 85 together with the Nakal Khasra Girdawari since the year 1952 Rabi to Kharief 2007 for the land falling under Khasra No.1442 situated at village Sunjwan Chatta, Jammu so as to reach to a logical conclusion.
Advocate Ahmed also drew the attention of the court to the order dated July 29, 2016 whereby Senior AAG S S Nanda had been directed to file the status report with regard to the outcome of the departmental enquiry initiated against two officers namely Mohd Iqbal Zargar, the then Patwari Halqa Sunjwan presently Naib-Tehsildar Thathri and Mohan Singh, Patwari then posted in Sunjwan area.
“Despite the express directions of the Division Bench, the Senior AAG has not filed the status report indicating the outcome of the departmental action”, Advocate Ahmed said, adding “officers of the Revenue Department are taking the directions of the Division Bench casually”.
Senior AAG S S Nanda, however, sought further two weeks time to file the requisite status report indicating the outcome of the departmental action against the revenue officials.
Conceding the request of Senior AAG, Division Bench granted two weeks time for filing status report in terms of order dated July 29, 2016 indicating the outcome of the departmental action.
Advocate Ahmed further requested the Division Bench to pass appropriate directions to the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Tehsildar Bahu to forthwith furnish the requisite revenue records to the Crime Branch. On this, the Division Bench, in the open court, that, “since the fresh status report filed by Crime Branch Jammu is not on the court file as such directions are issued to the Registry to tag the status report with the court file”.
The Division Bench, however, asked Advocate Ahmed to make the requisite submissions on the status report of the Crime Branch on the next date of hearing.
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