Div Com files 3rd amended status report
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 18: In the much publicized Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against land grabbing by certain politicians, police officers and bureaucrats occupying responsible position, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pardeep Gupta, filed third amended status report before the High Court along with an application seeking permission to amend the status-report earlier filed on April 23, 2012 by then Divisional Commissioner Dr Pawan Kotwal.
Accordingly, Division Bench comprising Justice Mansoor Ahmed Mir and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar directed that copy of the 3rd amended status report be furnished to the counsel for the other side and allowed two weeks time to the petitioner Prof S K Bhalla to file his objections/ response. The DB also directed the Registry to list the PIL immediately after two weeks.
Advocates Virender Bhat and Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed were appearing for the PIL and Additional Advocate General AH Qazi for the State. The AAG also filed a fresh motion seeking permission to amend the status report filed on April 23, 2012.
In the amended status report, which is based on the fresh communication of Deputy Commissioner Jammu bearing No:- DCJ/SQ/ Encroachment/ 2012-13/521 dated May 12, 2012, it has been submitted that Tehsildar Akhnoor Vide his Letter No OQ/81 dated April 24, 2012 has reported that due to clerical mistake the details of private land owned by Madan Lal Sharma and Sham Lal Sharma, sons of late Gushu Ram of village Plattan requires amendment in terms of area and also inclusion of Khasra numbers.
It has been clarified that earlier it was wrongly mentioned that Sham Lal Sharma owns 104 kanals of land in village Plattan and 24 kanals and 18 marlas in village Palwan of Akhnoor tehsil. In fact, Sham Lal Sharma owns 9 kanals and 2 marlas in village Plattan, 30 kanals and 2 marlas in Pallanwala, 24 kanals and 18 marlas in Palwan— total of 64 kanals and 2 marlas and rest of the land belongs to other co-sharers.
Similarly, Madan Lal Sharma owns 9 kanals and 2 marlas of land in village Plattan and 71 kanals and 10 marlas in village Pallanwala— total of 80 kanals and 12 marlas instead of 89 kanals and 4 marlas mentioned in the earlier status report.
In the third amended status report, it has been stated that whole matter has been examined by AC(R) Jammu, Tehsildar Jammu, Tehsildar (S) Jammu and Tehsildar Akhnoor and they have intimated that none of these persons is in possession of State land. It has again been reiterated that Satish Kumar, son of Madan Lal had applied for 41 kanals of State land falling under Khasra No. 424 Min situated in village Lalyal, tehsil and district Jammu for grant of ownership rights under J&K State Lands (vesting of ownership to the occupants) Act 2001 but the same stands rejected.
It is worthwhile to mention here that prior to the 3rd amended status report, two status reports were filed by the then Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr Pawan Kotwal and the first status report was not accepted by the Division Bench vide order dated April 10, 2012. The Division Bench had asked the Divisional Commissioner to file fresh status report as per the observations of the Court. In the second status report, then Divisional Commissioner filed a comprehensive detail of the immovable property owned by those whose reference has been made in the Annexure B and V of the PIL.
In the PIL, the petitioner Prof SK Bhalla has prayed for the constitution of Special Investigating Team (SIT) comprising officers of a proven integrity from State Vigilance Organization and Revenue Department to probe allegations of land grabbing leveled against certain police officers, politicians and bureaucrats.
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