Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 30: The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) Kashmir today raided the residential house of former Enforcement Officer, Lakes & Waterway Development Authority (LAWDA) Shah Sikander Khan at Rajbagh, Srinagar. Official sources said the SVO had established allegations that Khan had amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income by resorting to corrupt practices. On the basis of this, the SVO obtained a search warrant from the Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Srinagar after registration of case against the Enforcement Officer.
During extensive house search, various documents were recovered which pertained to the purchase of immovable property by Khan while being in active service. The accused had constructed a huge shopping complex at Batamaloo Srinagar. He had purchased 2 kanals 18 marlas of land at Batamaloo, 4 kanals 15 marlas of land at Lolpora, Tangmarg and was in possession of movable property like bank balance, jewellery, bank lockers, cash and electronic goods worth several lakhs of rupees.
This was the 5th case registered by SVO Kashmir against the officers/officials of LAWDA Srinagar in the current year. The SVO Kashmir had constituted a Special Investigation Team comprising of DySP Mushtaq Wani, Inspector Murtaza Kirmani and Inspector Showkat Abdullah to look into the allegations of corrupt practices by LAWDA officials
Meanwhile, the SVO Jammu conducted investigations into the allegations levelled in the complaint of the Sainik Co-operative House Building Society Ltd (SCHBSL) wherein it was alleged that one Kuldeep Singh R/o Toph Sherkhania, Jammu with the connivance of Revenue officers/officials and some private persons managed the purchase of 60 Kanals and 10 Marlas land falling in Khasra Nos 772 min and 773 min (Gair Mumkin Khad) situated at Sunjwan by way of four different sale deeds registered on 01/06/2001 with the Sub Registrar Jammu, when the land under question was in the continuous physical possession of the complainant society (SCHBSL) since 1970.
It was also alleged that at the time of registration of sale deeds neither the sellers nor the buyers wherein physical possession of said land but the suspect revenue officials manipulated the revenue record by reflecting Vijay Kumar S/o Kaka Ram R/o Mohalla Dalpatian Jammu, Amar Singh S/o Sukhdev Singh R/o Gurha Salathian Jammu, Naveen Chander S/o Shri Sita Ram R/o Dhakki Sarajan Jammu and Shri Mohan Lal S/o Bal Krishan R/o Shahidi Chowk Jammu in possession of said land, which is contrary to spot position and thereby facilitated the sale of land under question to the above named beneficiary.
Verification conducted revealed that the SCHBSL got acquired land about 2,013 Kanals 19 marlas falling under different khasra numbers in village Sunjwan and Chowadhi under the provisions of Land Acquisition Act in the year 1970 for further developing it and providing the same to the defence personnel who were members of the Society. However, the khasra numbers 772 and 773 (land under dispute) were not included in the land so acquired by it.
Verification further revealed that in the year 1997 one Rattan Parkash S/oDina Nath R/o Purani Mandi obtained power of attorney from the owners of the land under question measuring 60 kanals and 10 marlas and sold it to four different persons.
Rattan Parkash (power of attorney holder) in the year 2001 with the connivance of the then Halqa Patwari, Naib Tehsildar Bahu Jammu Jaswant Singh (now retired) and Girdawar Shri Baldev Raj (now retired) managed mutations in favour of the four beneficiaries/buyers without identification of land and handing over of physical possession to them.
The beneficiaries further sold the land to Kuldeep Singh S/o Kanwal Singh R/o Toph Sherkhania, Jammu through power of attorney holders namely Pritam Singh S/o Hari Chand R/o Prithvipur, Jammu and Rattan Parkash S/o Dina Nath R/o Purani Mandi Jammu by way of four sale deeds registered on 01/06/2001 followed by attestation of mutations in favour of the beneficiary namely Kuldeep Singh by the suspect Revenue officials without identifying the land and giving physical possession to the buyer which is against the rules and norms.
As such a case has been registered in Vigilance Organization, Jammu. on the prima facie establishment of offences on the part of all accused for further investigations.
Follow our WhatsApp channel