Rs 9.55 cr loss to exchequer
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has presented charge sheet against some Revenue officials and Swarn Singh Salaria, senior BJP leader, who is Director of Simm Samm Hotels Private Limited and The White Orchard Hotel Katra, in a case of causing loss of Rs 9.55 crore to the State exchequer.
The chargesheet in case FIR No. 12/2011 of PS VOJ (Now ACB) under section 5(1) (d), read with Section 5(2), J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and 120-B RPC, was presented in the Court of Special Judge Anti Corruption, Udhampur.
The case was registered on 09-07-2011 against Swarn Singh Salaria son of Nadhan Salaria of village Chohana, Pathankot; Harbans Singh son of Lehar Singh of Bishnah Jammu; Kunal Sharma, Tehsildar Reasi, Rattan Singh Naib Tehsildar Katra, Hukum Chand Circle Girdawar Katra and Om Prakash, Patwari Halqa Kundrorian Katra for allegedly causing loss of Rs 9.55 crore to the State exchequer.
The Revenue officers/ officials by abuse of their official position dishonestly and fraudulently prepared and issued incomplete and misleading Revenue extract in respect of land measuring 52 kanals 18 marlas under Khasra number 11 min situated at village Kundrorian Katra, Reasi falling under Katra Development Authority in favour of private beneficiaries Swarn Singh Salaria and others.
During verification, it transpired that these Revenue officers / officials willfully omitted to mention that “The White Orchard Hotel, Katra, District Reasi” was constructed over the land while preparing and issuing revenue extracts thus intentionally and dishonestly facilitated private beneficiaries Swarn Singh Salaria and Harbans Singh to depreciate the value of property from its actual cost and thus allowed evasion of the stamp duty.
Verifications further revealed that Swarn Singh Salaria had obtained a loan of Rs 1500 lakh from IDBI Bank Mumbai in June 2010 against the aforesaid property. While assessing the property, the surveyor had assessed the value of the property to the tune of Rs 194,25,24,478. This assessment had been agreed upon by the beneficiary and IDBI Bank Mumbai while mortgaging the aforesaid property against the loan.
As per the notification of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, the value of the land was fixed at Rs 25 lakh per kanal for purposes of stamp duty. The actual stamp duty need to be paid on the land was Rs 95,22,000 and the stamp duty supposed to be paid on the super structure was to the tune of Rs 8.64 crores while the accused paid stamp duty Rs 2,52,000 only. Thus, a total loss of Rs 9.55 crores to the Govt exchequer was caused on account of evasion of stamp duty.
After completing investigation of the case, ACB produced charge sheet today and the next date of hearing has been fixed for 19.09.2020.
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