Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against the then Bijbehara tehsildar Ghulam Rasool Bhat, the then naib tehsildar, Bijbehara, Fayaz Ahmad Wani, the concerned patwari, Ghulam Nabi Banday, and others for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent attestation of 162 land mutations in Bijbehara in year 2022-24 for land measuring 1,050 Kanals.
ACB in a statement said that 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 spokesman said that the verification conducted by ACB, 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 disclosed that the purported relinquishment deeds were actually sale transactions disguised to evade registration and stamp duty, while money was allegedly routed through intermediaries and multiple bank accounts to conceal the transactions.
On the basis of the material collected, a prima facie case of abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct has been established. Accordingly, an FIR has been registered at ACB police station in Anantnag, under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 120-B Indian Penal Code against the accused officials and others. Immediately upon registration of FIR, simultaneous searches were conducted at the respective residential houses of the accused persons after obtaining search warrants from the Court of the Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag,” the statement said adding that further investigation of the case is in progress.
{{/usCountry}}On the basis of the material collected, a prima facie case of abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct has been established. Accordingly, an FIR has been registered at ACB police station in Anantnag, under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Section 120-B Indian Penal Code against the accused officials and others. Immediately upon registration of FIR, simultaneous searches were conducted at the respective residential houses of the accused persons after obtaining search warrants from the Court of the Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag,” the statement said adding that further investigation of the case is in progress.
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