JAMMU — The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR against a then Naib Tehsildar, a Patwari and two private persons for their alleged involvement in facilitating the wrongful occupation of State land at Gurha Brahmana village in Jammu.
According to the ACB, the case was registered following Verification No. 02/2024, initiated on a complaint filed by Sohan Singh. The verification prima facie revealed that the accused public servants allegedly misused their official positions and failed to follow prescribed procedures, thereby facilitating wrongful gain to private individuals and causing loss to the complainant and the government.
The complainant had alleged that he purchased one kanal of land falling under Khasra No. 65-min through a registered sale deed dated January 17, 2005, followed by the attestation of Mutation No. 2229 on February 18, 2005. However, the verification revealed that the land actually delivered to and occupied by him falls under Khasra No. 96, which is recorded as State land.
The ACB further found that the then Patwari Babu Ram and Naib Tehsildar Ram Lal Sharma, allegedly in connivance with private persons Chaman Lal and Ram Chand, facilitated the preparation and issuance of revenue documents on the basis of an unauthenticated Dasti Khaka without properly verifying the original revenue records and the actual position of the land.
The private persons, through their attorney holders Ram Pal and Kasturi Lal, allegedly executed the sale deed and handed over possession of land falling under Khasra No. 96 instead of the land covered by Khasra No. 65-min.
A report submitted by the Tehsildar, Jammu North, on July 10, 2026, also confirmed that the complainant was not in possession of land under Khasra No. 65-min but was occupying land falling under Khasra No. 96, which is recorded as State land, the ACB said.
Accordingly, the ACB has registered a case under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the RPC.
Further investigation into the case is underway. — (KIMS)