STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In the much publicised Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting alleged hushing up of Chatta Sunjwan land scam, a Division Bench of the State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice B.S. Walia directed the Senior AAG S.S. Nanda appearing on behalf of the Revenue Department to submit the action taken against two revenue officials, Mohd. Iqbal Zargar the then Patwari Halqa Sunjwan presently Naib-Tehsildar Thathri and Mohan Singh Patwari then posted in Sunjwan area in terms of Division Bench order dated July, 29, 2016 with regard to the outcome of the departmental inquiry. When this PIL came up for hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Rahul Raina and Suraj Singh appearing for the petitioner drew the attention of the Court towards the fresh status report filed by Crime Branch, Jammu wherein it was submitted that some more persons acquainted with the matter have been summoned for questioning besides some more records are to be collected in order to ascertain as to how and why the nature of the land with regard to the ownership was changed.
The status report further highlights that despite issuing repeated messages vide No.AH/16/7017 dated 22-04-2016 and No.5306 dated 22-03-2016 the then ACR, Jammu Sher Singh who is presently posted as SDM Mendhar has not attended the Crime Branch for recording his statement and clarifying the records for which the Preliminary Verification (PV) is still under progress and every effort is being made to conclude the same on its merits.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed after going through the status report of Crime Branch in the open court submitted that the status report is nothing except the cyclostyle copy of the previous status report filed by Crime Branch on March, 28, 2016.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed argued that the Apex Court in the much publicised case of Lalita Kumari V/s State of UP has held that preliminary enquiry in a corruption case should not exceed 15 days but in the present case despite the lapse of a year the Crime Branch is just exchanging letters to the revenue department for collecting the records.
He further submitted that accused involved in the land scam are highly influential and have the tendency to prevail upon the investigation. At this stage the Division Bench comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice B.S. Walia observed in the open court that since court time is over as such looking into the importance of the matter the Registry was directed to list this PIL on September, 5, 2016. Senior AAG S.S. Nanda informed the Division Bench that both the officials have been charge-sheeted, however the Division Bench directed the Senior AAG to file the status report in this regard. Senior Advocate L.K. Sharma with Advocate Gurupartap Singh appeared for SRK Associates whereas Senior AAG Seema Shekhar appeared on behalf of Crime Branch Jammu.
