Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 2: The State Vigilance Organization (SVO) today booked officers and officials of Revenue and Forest Departments and some private persons for encroachments over forest land at village Kotli Kalaban in Rajouri district.
“The forest land had been unauthorizedly occupied by inhabitants of Kotli Kalaban after cutting trees and started cultivation over the land. The Revenue officials had attested the mutations showing possession of encroachers over the land since 1957-58 though the land had been encroached recently.
Investigations conducted into the case by the Vigilance Organization revealed that illegal entries were made in the State land under the occupation of Forest Department falling under Khasra No.364, which were subsequently expunged and record set right, but the illegal encroachers continued to be in occupation of the encroached land and the concerned officers/officials of Forest Department did nothing to retrieve the land.
“The conspiracy was carried on further and out of the said Khasra No., the land measuring 25 Kanals 15 Marlas had been illegally mutated under LB-6 and S-432 vide mutation No.497 and 500 respectively in favour of Mohammad Bashir and others sons of Bassu by then concerned Patwari namely Maqsood-ul-Hassan and have conferred illegal ownership rights on them,” sources said.
Another chunk of land measuring 20 kanals out of above Khasra number has also been illegally shown allotted in the revenue record in favour of one Mohammad Yaqoob son of Sher Dil without any allotment order by then Patwari Halqa Ghambir Mughlan namely Nissar Hussain. The two mutations shown attested under LB-6 and S-432 conferring the ownership rights upon Mohammad Bashir and others in respect of forest land measuring 25 Kanals 15 Marlas and entry of allotment in respect of 20 kanals of forest land in favour of Mohammad Yaqoob have been made by the Revenue officials and unidentified Naib Tehsildar by abuse of their official position, with dishonest intention and in connivance with the concerned forest officers/officials.
They had manipulated the Revenue records in order to give wrongful gain to illegal beneficiaries and corresponding loss to the State exchequer.
As such a case has been registered in Vigilance Organization, Jammu on the prima facie establishment of offences on the part of accused public servants and others.
Meanwhile, the State Vigilance Organization has also produced challan against Zakir Hussain, the then Patwari Halqa Bajarni in Bhagwah tehsil of Doda district.
A written complaint was lodged by Gul Mohammad Bhat R/o Kotal Bajarni in Vigilance Organization, Jammu alleging that a demand of Rs.50,000 was made by accused Patwari to the complainant for processing his land compensation case and finally the deal was settled for Rs 30,000 as first instalment and the remaining amount of Rs 20,000 was asked by the accused Patwari to be paid to him after receiving the compensation.
On the basis of the instant complaint the instant case was registered by the Vigilance Organization and investigation of the case was taken-up.
During the investigation, a successful trap was laid against the accused Patwari by the vigilance sleuths and the accused was caught red handed while demanding and accepting Rs.30,000/- from the complainant in the presence of independent witnesses.
The bribe amount of Rs.30,000 was recovered from the possession of the accused. After completion of all the legal formalities, the accused Patwari was arrested and subsequently he was bailed out by the court.
During the investigation the accused Patwari was examined and questioned, but he failed to give any plausible explanation in support of his defence. After completion of the investigation the case was processed for accord of Government sanction and accordingly after obtaining necessary Government sanction challan of the case was produced against the accused Patwari before the court of Special, Judge Anti-Corruption, Doda for judicial determination.
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