JAMMU: Former Minister of State for Home and National Conference MLC Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo and his three brothers on Monday landed in another controversy when a High Court Advocate lodged complaints regarding grabbing of 98 Kanals and 10 Marlas forest land by them at Sunjwan area in the outskirts of Jammu City.
Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, who was Minister of State for Home in NC-Congress coalition, belongs to Kishtwar. His father Bashir Ahmad Kitcloo was Forest Minister during Farooq government.
According to complainant, encroachment on the forest land started during his tenure and now it has been extended up to 98 Kanals and 10 Marlas, according to an official document.
“With all documentary proof, duly attested by concerned Revenue and Forest officials, I have sought registration of FIR against Minister and his brothers for grabbing huge chunk of forest land,” said Advocate Ankur Sharma, adding “a lot of time is wasted by the government officials to submit reports in land cases for obvious reasons.”
“In case of BJP Minister Abdul Gani Kohli, the government is delaying the report for the last over one year ,” lamented Advocate Ankur Sharma.
The complaint sent to SVO states that “The major beneficiaries of the forest land grabbing are the sons of Late Bashir Ahmed Kitchloo who remained Forest Minister during National Conference regime.
Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, Nasir Ahmed Kitchloo, Tanveer Ahmed Kitchloo, Yasir Bashir Kitchloo, sons of Late Bashir Ahmed Kitchloo have constructed residential houses over the land. The officers and officials of the Forest Department, posted in the area preferred to be the mute spectators and did not stop the encroachers from encroaching upon the forest land and also did not take effective steps to stop massive construction of palatial residential houses on it, the complaint stated.
The officers of the Forest Department preferred to remain silent due to the political clout of the illegal occupants, otherwise there was no reason to allow the encroachment of such a level that too on duly recorded forest land, the complaint stated.
“Not only this, there are other illegal occupants like Lal Mohd. and Gulam Mohd, sons of Wali Joo; Bashir Ahmed, son of Ghulam Qadir; Farida Begum, wife of Ghulam Hussain, but no action till date has been initiated against the encroachers by the officers andofficials of the Forest Department and the encroachment continues on the spot”, the complainant added.
The complaint further states that the encroachment on the forest land in Khasra No. 249, situated at village Sunjwan, District Jammu has been confirmed/substantiated by a demarcation report dated January 23, 2008 which stands duly prepared/countersigned by the Naib-Tehsildar.
The demarcation report clearly states that this has been duly fenced by the encroachers, who have raised the plinth as well as the residential houses, mentioned Advocate Ankur Sharma in the complaint.
The position on spot clearly shows brazen loot of the forest land by none else than the members of a highly influential political family of the State and for this reason only the State Authorities preferred to adopt a criminal silence and the provisions of J&K Forest Act, J&K Forest Conservation Act and other land laws were thrown to winds.
“Forest Department is the custodian of the forest land but it is quite surprising that such a huge chunk of Forest land comprised in Khasra No. 249 situated at Village Sunjwan, District Jammu was allowed to be encroached upon by the members of a political family and the officers/officials of the Forest Department facilitated such encroachment and massive construction of residential bunglows. This act of the Forest Officers amounts to abuse of officials position/dereliction of duties for which an FIR under Section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act and the relevant provisions of J&K Forest Act, J&K Forest Conservation Act is required to be registered alongwith the beneficiaries of the encroachment”, the complainant observered. “Keeping in view this illegal encroachment FIR under Section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act read with the provisions of J&K Forest Act and J&K Forest Conservation Act be registered against the officers/officials of Forest Department who facilitated the encroachment of the forest land and the unauthorized occupants of the Forest land namely Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, Nasir Ahmed Kitchloo, Tanveer Ahmed Kitchloo and Yasir Bashir Kitchloo, all sons of Late Bashir Ahmed Kitchloo besides Ghulam Mohd, son of Wali Joo; Bashir Ahmed, son of Ghulam Qadirand Farida Begum, wife of Ghulam Hussain in the interest of justice, the complaint to SVO added.