ACB exposes custodian land scam in Jammu

Jammu, Nov 8: Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday said that it has exposed a nexus of revenue officers and land mafia, wherein around 40 kanals of custodian land in Asarwan area of Jammu has been found usurped by the land mafia.
According to a statement, the ACB earlier unearthed land scam involving more than 500 kanals of custodian land for which 15 FIRs have already been registered for investigation.
The statement reads that inputs were received that custodian land at Asarwan, Mishriwala and Bhalwal Jammu, has been fraudulently grabbed by the land mafia in connivance with the revenue and police officers.
“The revenue records have been tempered and land has been sold to various persons. ACB conducted a formal verification wherein it was found that in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, FORM 3-A (Form Alf) along with power of attorneys (POAs) were obtained from various PoK refugees, alluring them of additional lands and providing them instant money by the conduits of land grabbers, and thereafter insertions/additions regarding additional chunks of custodian lands were made in the revenue records by the officials of the revenue and custodian department, by sheer abuse of their official positions,” it reads.
It added that the land was sold by the conduits and attorney holders to various persons including their own gang leaders and members, by resorting to fraudulent means, thereby causing a huge loss to the government exchequer. [KNT]