Bunty-Bubli Case: CB mulling SIT probe into Rs 15 Cr palatial house construction scam

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Bunty- Bubli Fraud Case, which was being hushed up by the involvement of retired Excise Officer, got an interesting turn when Special DGP Crime Branch didn’t endorse the report of SSP Crime Branch and returned back the case with few important observations. Now the case is to be re-investigated, perhaps by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), as informed by the sources.
On the instructions of office of Special Director General of Police Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Jammu Crime Branch (CB) is mulling to constitute a SIT to probe into the construction of a palatial house, allegedly involving whopping cost of Rs 15 crore in the posh Gandhi Nagar area of the Jammu city by concealing the fact, and showing the forged application dated August 22, 2019 for approval of Building Permission for the house no: 80/110. Despite the fact that this house had already been sold vide two sale deeds of 2016 and 2018, the fraud was committed to befool the field staff of municipality while constructing house no: 44 D/C Gandhi Nagar which Anita Sharma had purchased for Rs 6 Crores. This was done to save the Building Permission fee worth lakhs of rupees to be deposited in municipality
Sources said, the Crime Branch ordered reinvestigation of the infamous Bunty-Bubli fraud case, after detailed reports carried by the STATE TIMES and a decision in principle has been taken to constitute an SIT under a senior police officer to probe the matter in a time bound manner. The senior officers are reported to have gone in a huddle to take a final call on the constitution of a team, as the fraudsters have not only befooled the JMC but indulged in impersonation and deceit in active connivance of the unscrupulous staffers of the Corporation-the designated authority for granting building permission. The beneficiary couple, Anita Sharma and her husband, Shiv Kumar Sharma, resident of 23 B/C Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, also known as Bunty and Bubli, are alleged to have taken the JMC for a ride by indulging in deceit.
Anita Sharma, impersonating as owner of house number 84/110-A Block (Pvt) Gandhi Nagar submitted an application before MCJ for approval of building permission on 22-08-2019 which was entertained by municipality vide no.9820 despite the fact that she had already sold that house a year ago and had no authority of that house. It is said that the application was given with a motive to construct house no: 44 D/C under the grab of showing the under-process document to field staff of municipality.
During investigations into the case when the office of Special Director General of Crime branch came to know about a certificate issued by the municipality against RTI that no building permission has ever been granted which not only confirmed the fraud municipality lost lakhs of rupees as permission fee.
Though the certificate of RTI confirmed 100 per cent violation of rules the municipality with a motive to oblige Anita Sharma issued a notice of minor violation which was stayed by the Special Tribunal considering the violation as minor.
It is a known fact that if a case is sub-judice in any court, it cannot be processed in any other court. But Anita Sharma hiding the fact of the case before Special Tribunal lodged a case in the court of Principal District Judge Jammu from where on 12-01-2022 1st Civil Subordinate Judge, Jammu issued an order of stay on the same subject when a case was still sub-judice in the court of Special Tribunal.
According to reports, Anita Sharma, wife of Shiv Kumar Sharma, resident of 23 B/C Gandhi Nagar purchased a plot of land at 44 D/C, Gandhi Nagar on April 25, 2018 for Rs. six crores. She paid the cash vide Cheque No.029516 on April 5, 2018, Cheque No .029519 on April 12, 2018 for Rs One Crore and the third Cheque No. 029524 on April 16, 2018 for Rs 3.14 Crore. An amount of Rs 6 lakh as TDS @ 1 per cent was deducted over all cheques payable at YES Bank, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu
After purchase of the property, the owner Anita Sharma applied to Jammu Municipal Corporation for Building Permission on August 22, 2019, which had already been sold to someone vide two sale deeds. However with malafide intention to commit fraud, the site for the proposed construction was reflected Plot No.84/110-A Block (Pvt) Gandhi Nagar Jammu instead of Plot No 44/DC Gandhi Nagar.
As expected, Jammu Municipal Corporation rejected the application of Anita Sharma, seeking building permission, on February 20, 2020. However, the construction on Plot No 44 D/C went on unabated, by befooling the JMC staff by saying that she has already applied to the Corporation for approval. There was no permission for construction at all came to light when the matter came to the notice of the JMC, which intimated in a reply to R.T.I, that no Building n Permission had been granted for construction of a building on Plot No 44 D/C Gandhi Nagar.
Meanwhile, Anita Sharma raised a huge building on Plot No. 44 D/C in violation of all the norms including of ‘setbacks’.
Intriguingly, when the scandal was exposed, Jt. Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation issued a notice to Anita Sharma, wife of Shiv Kumar Sharma, 23 B/C for carrying out minor violations, notwithstanding the fact that a huge two storey building was constructed illegally with violation of Set- Backs too.
It has been reliably learnt that Crime Branch has shortlisted few points for investigation like (i) Why application for Building Permission was given by Anita Sharma for house no. 80/110 A on 22-8-2019 while she had already sold that house is 2016 and 2018 (ii) Why no Municipal authority objected to the illegal construction at 44 D/C during this period as there was no approval as confirmed by JMC in writing (iii) That if there was no approved building permission, how JMC issued notice of minor violation which was stayed by the court, no permission means 100 per cent violation ?. (iv) If at all the Special Tribunal stayed the demolition of minor violation, as wrongly pointed out by JMC(hiding the facts) what was the reason that Anita Sharma approached the court of Principal District Jammu for stay on the same case hiding the facts ?. (v) To investigate few more cases of Anita Sharma and her husband pending in High Court and sub-ordinate courts about office complex at 313 Apsara Road (though permission applied was for construction of residential structure). A case pending in the High Court since 2018 in which lower court not only confirmed major violation but maximum encroachment and no set back of the building. (vi) A case for Shop no: 1, Trikuta Nagar Jammu illegally allotted to Anita Sharma (but later allotment was cancelled) which is also sub-judice in the court.
It seems the Crime Branch is now serious to bring the culprits to book in this fraud case.