STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla will pronounce its verdict on framing of charges in the much publicised Gulmarg land scam tomorrow (Saturday). On April 8, 2016, the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Baramulla had reserved orders on framing of charges.
Additional Sessions Judge Baramulla (with powers of Special Judge Anti-Corruption) Jatinder Singh Jamwal had reserved the orders after hearing
a battery of lawyers representing the accused in the case — Mehboob Iqbal, former Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Baseer Khan, former Deputy Commissioner Baramulla and more than eight top hoteliers of Kashmir Valley—the court reserved the orders on charge/discharge.
Senior Advocate Z.A. Shah representing the accused had vehemently argued for the discharge of the accused and submitted that the Vigilance had wrongly booked the accused in this case and on the other hand the Public Prosecutor representing SVO justified the registration of FIR and sought framing of charges against the high profile accused.
He further submitted that the accused public servants entered into a conspiracy with the high profile hoteliers/beneficiaries and deprived the State of valuable land, cost of which runs into crores of Rupees. He further submitted that there was no question of grant of ownership rights to the beneficiaries/ hoteliers when the land was outside the purview of the Roshini Act.
The Gulmarg land scam came into limelight in 2009 when vigilance registered an FIR against the officers for alleged grant of ownership of state land duly transferred to Gulmarg Development Authority.
