‘False, aimed to malign’, Mirwaiz on Srinagar land encroachment allegations

ACB had filed an FIR against Mirwaiz, a bureaucrat and four others in connection with allegations of encroaching evacuee land in connivance with revenue officials in Srinagar

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday termed the allegations of him encroaching on evacuee property as “false” and “aimed to malign and harass”.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (HT File)

Jammu and Kashmir’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had on Tuesday filed an FIR against Mirwaiz, a bureaucrat and four others in connection with allegations of encroaching evacuee land in connivance with revenue officials in Srinagar.

Reacting to the development, Mirwaiz Manzil Nigeen on behalf of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he had received no intimation or notice of the matter.

“Fact of the matter is that no property at present – house or land – belongs to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Nigeen. The residential land and house in which he lives in Nigeen was purchased and built upon by his father Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq in 1973, the same year that Mirwaiz Umar was born. Its boundary walls are the same since that year,” it said.

Officials said the ACB filed the FIR under section 5(1) (d) read with section 5(2) of Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, and section 120 of Ranbir Penal Code on May 10 and handed over the investigation to a DSP-rank officer.

“After 1990 till yesterday when this sensational news item of Mirwaiz being booked ‘instantly’ by ACB was released to the media , he had no inkling of this matter as no information or notice was ever sent or shared with him by the concerned. If as per the authorities there was any issue involved , the concerned as is the procedure should have intimated Mirwaiz instead of ‘instantly booking’ him in the case . The motive to malign and defame is apparent,” the statement said.

The statement said that Mirwaiz and his close kin were being “implicated”.