SRINAGAR (KIMS) — The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday registered a case against the then Tehsildar Bijbehara, the then Naib Tehsildar Bijbehara, a Patwari and others for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent attestation of 162 land mutations involving around 1,050 kanals of land between 2022 and 2024.
According to an ACB statement, the accused have been identified as then Tehsildar Bijbehara Ghulam Rasool Bhat, then Naib Tehsildar Bijbehara Fayaz Ahmad Wani, concerned Patwari Ghulam Nabi Banday and others.
The case originated from a source-based complaint alleging that the accused officials, in connivance with others, illegally attested mutations involving about 1,050 kanals of land without execution of registered transfer deeds and without payment of the prescribed registration fee and stamp duty, causing substantial loss to the State exchequer.
The ACB said its verification, supported by reports of the Departmental Vigilance Officer (Revenue), departmental inquiry committees and expert opinion, revealed gross violations of revenue laws and Standing Order 23-A.
The verification further revealed that the purported relinquishment deeds were allegedly sale transactions disguised to evade registration fees and stamp duty, while money was routed through intermediaries and multiple bank accounts to conceal the transactions, the statement said.
Based on the material collected during verification, the ACB said a prima facie case of abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct was established.
Accordingly, FIR No. 06/2026 was registered at Police Station ACB Anantnag under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused officials and others.
Immediately after registration of the FIR, simultaneous searches were conducted at the respective residential houses of the accused after obtaining search warrants from the Court of Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag.
Further investigation in the case is underway. — (KIMS)