ACB Chargesheets 14 in Illegal Building Permission Case, SMC and Revenue Officials Among Accused – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against 14 accused persons, prominently including officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Revenue Department, in a high-profile case of illegal building permission.

An official spokesperson said in a media statement that the chargesheet in FIR No. 04/2019, under offences U/S 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) of J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006 and 120-B RPC, was presented before the Court of Special Anti-Corruption Judge Srinagar. The accused include 11 SMC officers/officials, one Revenue official, and two private beneficiaries.

The case was registered after allegations surfaced that SMC officials, in connivance with a Revenue officer, had facilitated illegal construction on State land at Barthana, Qamarwari (Khasra No. 90). Building permission was fraudulently issued in the name of Ghulam Qadir Sofi, who had passed away in 2008, but was misused by his son, Mohammad Arif Sofi, to raise a commercial building in violation of approved drawings. “Manipulated revenue records were allegedly used to encroach upon adjoining State land, with the active backing of the accused officials.”

According to the ACB, as per Alfaaz – The Words, the investigation supported by oral and documentary evidence fully proved the charges of abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy, and granting undue benefit to private parties against the implicated SMC and Revenue officials.

After obtaining prosecution sanction from the government, the chargesheet against the 14 accused, including 12 public servants and two private individuals, was filed before the Additional Judge Anti-Corruption Court Srinagar. The matter is listed for further hearing on October 7, 2025.