The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at 9 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with a major land-grabbing and corruption scandal involving custodian property originally allotted to evacuees from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Multiple Locations Targeted
Officials said the ED’s Jammu unit raided eight locations in Jammu and one in Udhampur. The searches were carried out against several individuals, including Pranav Dev Singh (Patwari), Rahul Kai (Patwari), and Akeel Ahmed (Naib Tehsildar), among others allegedly linked to the scam.
The action stems from a 2022 FIR filed by the Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) under the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and fraud.
Massive Irregularities Detected
Investigators suspect widespread manipulation in the transfer and occupation of custodian land in Jammu. According to the ACB, large tracts of land in Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal were fraudulently grabbed by land mafias with the collusion of revenue, custodian, and even police officials.
Revenue records were allegedly tampered with, and custodian land — meant for PoK refugees — was sold illegally, causing huge losses to the government.
How The Scam Worked
The ACB’s verification revealed that conduits lured PoK refugees with promises of additional land and small cash amounts ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000. Using forged documents like Form 3-A (Form Alf) and power of attorney papers, officials inserted fictitious entries into revenue records, illegally adding chunks of custodian land.
These lands were then sold to outsiders, including members of the same criminal syndicates, through fraudulent means.
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