Srinagar, Feb 19 (KNO): Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday said to have registered a case against the then Managing Director J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation and others for illegal allotment of state land.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the ACB spokesman said that a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) was conducted to look into allegations that the J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation Ltd. (JKCHC) purchased 392 kanal of land from private persons for establishing a Housing Colony at Village Bain Bajalta, District Jammu and for that purpose, also illegally occupied Kah Charai, Maqbuza Sarkar and JDA land.
"It was alleged that the Board purchased 392 Kanals of land at scattered places. The management of JKCHC in connivance with officers/officials of Revenue Department illegally occupied about 584 Kanal land which includes state land. The JKCHC then allotted the same to different persons by making plots," the statement reads.
During the course of preliminary enquiry, ACb spokesman said that it was found that JKCHC acquired land at village Bain Bajalta for establishment of housing colony.
"During the process of taking possession of land, the Corporation illegally occupied state land measuring 111 Kanal and 17 Marlas. Apart from this, the Corporation also occupied 100 kanal 15 marla land falling under Khasra No’s. 16 min, 17 min, 219 min, 573/34 min from the owners vested with proprietary rights of the land under J&K Agrarian Reforms Act 1976 and Govt. Order No. S-432," the statement added.
During the course of enquiry, it was surfaced that the officers/officials of JKCHC and Revenue Department in furtherance of a well-knit conspiracy hatched among themselves and the beneficiaries, by abuse of their official position, paved way for transfer of rights of the land for establishing a housing colony by the JKCHC in violation to the government provisions dishonestly and fraudulently by misrepresenting facts, thereby conferring undue benefits upon themselves, the corporation and the beneficiaries, it reads.
"These omissions and commissions on the part of officers/officials of the JKCHC and the Revenue Department including Bharat Bhushan Sharma the then Managing Director J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation, Shesh Paul Salgotra, the then Tehsildar Jammu, Sanjay Badyal, the then Tehsildar Jammu, Mahesh Chander the then Naib Tehsildar Sidhra, Farooq Hussain the then Patwari Halqa Bain Bajalta Jammu, Nek Mohd then Patwari Halqa Bain Bajalta Jammu, the beneficiaries and others constitute offences punishable under Section 5(1)(d) read with section 5(2) of J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006 and U/s 420, 465, 467,468, 471 and 120-B/RPC. Accordingly a case FIR No. 02/2025 has been registered in Police Station ACB Central," the statement reads, adding that further investigation in the case is going on—(KNO)