Court frames corruption charges against revenue officials, others

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 17: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu, Sanjay Dhar today framed corruption charges against Rajinder Kumar, the then Patwari Halqa Domana (presently attached with DC office Jammu), Subash Singh Chib, the then Tehsildar, Jammu (at present Tehsildar Udhampur), four brothers namely Jagdev Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Jasdev Singh and Shivdev Singh of Kot Bhalwal and Narayan Singh, a resident of Canal Road, who were challaned by the Crime Branch.
According to the Crime Branch, land measuring 40 kanals and 05 marlas in Khasra Nos. 500 & 525 situated at village Raipur Domana was acquired by accused Jagdev Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Shivdev Singh and Jasdev Singh under Section 4 & 8 of Agrarian Reforms Act 1976.
These accused in connivance with accused Narayan Singh managed to procure eight different Fard-e-Intikhabs in respect of 28 kanals and 14 marlas of land that were prepared by accused Rajinder Kumar, the concerned Patwari and attested by accused Subash Singh Chib, the concerned Tehsildar for the purpose of sale of land to eight different persons.
The Fard-e-Intikhabs were issued by accused without mentioning that the land in question had been acquired by the owners under Section 4 and 8 of Agrarian Reforms Act and also without mentioning that accused Shivdev Singh had mortgaged his share in land under Khasra Nos. 500 and 525 min with Jammu Rural Bank Bhalwal.
The concealment of material facts, while issuing the Fard-e-Intikhabs, was malicious, intentional and dishonest in as much as Subash Singh, the then Tehsildar had demanded and accepted illegal gratification of Rs 4 lakh through Narayan Singh for issuing the Fard-e-Intikhabs.
After the registration of sale deeds on the basis of Fard-e-Intikhabs in favour of purchasers, accused made a further demand of Rs 40 lakh from the purchasers for effecting mutation of the land in question in their favour and when they failed to meet the demand, Rajinder Kumar, the then Patwari passed an order in terms of S.28-A of Agrarian Reforms Act thereby eschewing the land in question in favour of State.
After hearing both the sides, Special Judge Anticorruption framed charges against all the accused.