HC stays investigation in Roshni land scam FIR

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 20: High Court has stayed the investigation in FIR No 16/2014 registered under J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 17 of the J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act, 2001 and Section 120-B RPC.
The High Court also stayed the Government Order No.01-GAD (Vig) of 2016 dated 06.01.2016 whereby in terms of Section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act sanction for prosecution of the petitioner–the then Patwari Halqa Ballian Udhampur has been accorded.
The significant direction has been passed in a petition filed by Ashok Kumar, Naib Tehsildar seeking quashment of impugned FIR No. 16/2014 registered by Police Station VOJ against the petitioner and the impugned Govt. Order No.01-GAD (Vig) of 2016 dated 06.01.2016 granting prosecution sanction.
Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocates Veenu Gupta and Sumit Nayyar appearing for the petitioner submitted that the impugned FIR registered and prosecution sanction accorded against the petitioner was totally illegal and motivated.
“The same has been registered by the respondents on the pressure and influence yielded by various officers/officials who in order to save themselves made the petitioner as scapegoat notwithstanding the fact that it is the report of the petitioner in which he has specifically pointed out deficiencies of PRCs in the cases of three persons who were seeking vesting of ownership rights in their favour”, they said, adding “on this ground alone, the impugned FIR and prosecution sanction deserves to be quashed”.