*Process set into motion to cancel mutation, retrieve State land
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 25: In a major headway in the much-publicized Chatha-Sunjwan land scam involving influential persons having political backings, Government has directed the Inspector General of Police, Crime to initiate action against the Government officers and officials as well as beneficiaries. Moreover, a process has been set into motion to cancel the illegal mutation and retrieve the State land from Ms/ SRK Associates.
This land scam actually came to the fore in the year 2008 on the basis of an alert of the State Vigilance Organization mentioning that some colonizers had illegally encroached upon the State and Forest land in Chatha-Sunjwan area of Jammu district.
On the basis of SVO alert, the Government appointed the then Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Sudhanshu Pandey as Inquiry Officer. Though Sudhanshu Pandey constituted a demarcation committee but he could not complete the enquiry because of varied reasons. Thereafter, the scam remained out of the Government’s attention for quite long time.
Last year, Prof S K Bhalla, a social activist filed an application under Right to Information Act seeking status of enquiry into Chatha-Sunjwan land scam. Subsequently, the issue became part of the ongoing Public Interest Litigation on land grabbing. On the directions of the State High Court, the then Divisional Commissioner, Shantmanu was appointed Inquiry Officer vide GAD Order No.1083-GAD dated October 20, 2014 and he submitted report on April 6, 2015 establishing transfer of State land to colonizers by tampering of revenue record.
The preliminary report submitted by the then Divisional Commissioner, Jammu has prima-facie established that the State land under Khasra No.1442 has not only been transferred in violation of rules and standing orders but tampering with the records has also been done to show it as a private land. “The revenue records like Jamabandi Fard and Misl-e-Haqiat etc have been tampered with”, the report said.
Subsequently, the General Administration Department vide Communication No.GAD(L)F-424 dated April 22, 2015 directed the Divisional Commissioner to proceed further in the matter and restore the revenue land to its original position after following due procedures and furnish the names of officers/officials involved in the irregularities.
In response to the directions of the GAD, the Assistant Revenue Authority of Deputy Commissioner Jammu’s office has now been asked to file appeal before the competent forum for cancellation of Mutation No.225-J and 312-J attested in respect of land measuring 20 kanals and 12 marlas falling under Khasra No.1442 of village Chatha-Sunjwan of Bahu tehsil.
It is pertinent to mention here that when the General Administration Department obtained its opinion on the report of the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs recommended regular departmental proceedings against Government officers/officials involved in transferring of State land in favour of private individuals in violation of rules and standing orders.
“As far as tampering of records is concerned, it is a criminal offence. Apart from the Government officers and officials responsible for tampering, the persons, who have been benefitted of such tampering are also liable for criminal action as being the conspirators and beneficiaries of such fraud”, the Law Department further said in its opinion, adding “criminal investigation and departmental proceedings can go along simultaneously”.
The Law Department has advised that apart from taking action against the delinquent officers/officials in the departmental proceedings, the matter may also be referred to the Crime Branch of State Police for investigating the criminal offence of tampering of records and taking action under law against all those who may have been involved in such criminal act.
Keeping in view the opinion of the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department, the General Administration Department has directed Revenue Department to initiate immediate further action in the matter. Even the Inspector General of Police, Crime J&K has been asked to initiate necessary action in the matter.
The officers and officials, who have come in the dock for issuing illegal Fards and attesting the mutations of the land, are Choudhary Aslam Din, the then Naib Tehsildar Bahu (retired as Tehsildar), Mohd Iqbal Zargar, the then Patwari, Sunjwan (presently working as Naib Tehsildar in Doda district) and Mohan Singh, the then Patwari Sunjwan (presently working as Patwari in District Samba).
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