Crime Branch Files Charge-Sheet Against 12 in Auqaf Land Grabbing Case

SRINAGAR: The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police has filed a charge-sheet against twelve accused, including the then Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, Girdawar and Patwari, in the high-profile Auqaf land grabbing case at Chatha in Jammu.

The charge-sheet was submitted before the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu against Daljeet Singh, then Tehsildar (now retired), resident of Nai Basti; Som Dutt, then Naib Tehsildar (now retired), resident of Shiv Nagar; Ram Saran, then Girdawar (since expired), resident of Domana; and Abdul Fani, then Patwari (since expired), resident of Bhadarwah.

Other accused include Mukhtyar Ahmed of Chatha Gujran, Tariq Hussain of Chatha Gujran, Abdul Sattar (since expired) of Chatha Gujran, and five others.

The case was registered following a written complaint by the Administrator of Auqaf Islamia Jammu, who alleged that revenue officers and beneficiaries entered into a criminal conspiracy, committed cheating and forgery, and fraudulently grabbed 26 kanals of Auqaf land in village Chatha Gujran.

Investigations established the offences on the basis of documentary and other evidence, leading to the submission of the challan in court.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Jammu, Benam Tosh, confirmed that the charge-sheet has been filed in case FIR number 20/2013 under Sections 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code, read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, at Police Station Crime Branch Jammu.

The case will now undergo judicial determination before the Anti-Corruption Court in Jammu.