Ex-Tehsildar Reasi, Girdawar, Patwari, among 14 booked for land record tampering

Over Rs 78 lakh compensation on manipulated reports

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Anti Corruption Bureau has registered an FIR case against Sudesh Kumar, the then Tehsildar Reasi, Mohd Qasim, the then Girdawar, Yash Pal, the then Patwari as well as beneficiaries namely Dalip Singh, Omkar Singh, Kishore Singh, Inder Singh, Balwant Singh, all sons of Amarnath, Pushpa Devi, wife of Pritam Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Ashwani Singh, Parshotam Singh, Rangeel Singh all sons of Late Saroop Singh, Chanchla Devi, wife of Balbir Singh, Manju Devi, wife of Mohan Lal, Gandharab Singh and Lehar Singh both sons of Late Pushpa Devi, resident of Village Gran, Reasi and Others under section 5(1 )(d) r/w 5 (2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006 and 120-B RPC for tampering revenue records and preparing fictitious reports for land compensation.
According to ACB, a verification was conducted against the then Additional Deputy Commissioner, Reasi and others on the allegations of release of wrong compensation on the basis of manipulated reports with regard to land acquisition proceedings under the provision of Land Acquisition Act 1990, for land measuring 27 Kanals 06 Marias falling under Khasra No.692/650/555 min situated at village Gran, Reasi for public purpose viz-Acquisition of land for dumping yard at T5-P-1 on Katra Dharm section of USBRL project at village Gran, Reasi, in favour of persons who have no right over the property so acquired. The verification conducted revealed that the then Revenue Officers/Officials who remained associated with the award of land compensation for land measuring 27 Kanals 6 Marias at village Gran, Reasi conferred undue benefit upon the beneficiaries by way of awarding compensation in violation of provisions of Land Acquisition Act Svt 1990, Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976 and instructions issued in this regard. The land acquisition proceedings were initiated for such land. The collector land acquisition, Addl Deputy Commissioner issued final award on 6th of September 2017 and before that Tehsildar Reasi was asked to work out the individual share of land owners over the shamilat (and, as the land involved in the final award stands recorded as shamilat-deh Hasab Rasad Khewat Maqbooza Malakan. The Tehsildar reported to the Collector in 2018 that the shamilat land under acquisition was in the physical possession of Sukhdev Singh and others. However, as per revenue record, there was no Girdawari on the names of beneficiaries in the year 1971. The revenue Officials too submitted a report that the owners are eligible to receive the compensation.
It surfaced during the course of verification that the shamilat land under acquisition was not under the self cultivation of said person/persons in Kharif 1971 and no one amongst them was entitled for compensation. In-fact, the compensation was supposed, to be credited to Government exchequer under the appropriate head of account. Some of the beneficiaries agitated before the High Court pursuant to which the petition was disposed by giving liberty to petitioners to approach Tehsildar Reasi for seeking redressal to their grievances. The Tehsildar summoned the beneficiaries and the matter was under examination before him. The probe conducted further revealed that the persons in whose favour the land compensation stands released are not the rightful claimants of land compensation. The total amount of Rs.78,48,750/- was disbursed in violation of the provisions of Land Acquisition Act, Agrarian Reform Act, rules made there under and Circular instructions issued by the Revenue department (Rs.5,60,625/- in favour of each beneficiary). In this manner, the then officers/officials so found responsible, by abuse of their official positions and in lieu of criminal conspiracy with private beneficiaries disbursed the compensation in violation to the prescribed provisions to confer the wrongful gain to themselves as well as beneficiaries.