3 revenue officials among 4 booked in land-scam in Jammu

Four persons, including three former Revenue officials, have been booked by the State Vigilance Organisation in connection with the land scam in the district.
"A case has been registered against Patwari Halqa Manda, Mahesh Chander, the then Girdawar Kamal Singh and Vishwamitra Sharma, the then Naib Tehsildar Akhnoor and a beneficiary Ashok Kumar of Daskal Tehsil in Akhnoor in Police Station SVO for further investigation," a SVO officer said.
While probing allegations levelled against the Revenue officers and officials of Tehsil Akhnoor by SVO it was revealed that co-sharers namely Dev Raj Sharma and Ashok Kumar, both sons of Late Ram Dass of Village Daskal Tehsil Akhnoor, were in joint possession of land measuring 1 Kanal 13 Marlas in village Manda Tehsil Akhnoor, he said.

The accused officers Mahesh Chander, Kamal Singh and Vishwamitra Sharma entered into a criminal conspiracy with said Ashok Kumar and by abuse of their official position in furtherance of criminal conspiracy manipulated the records and issued revenue extracts in favour of Sanjeev Kumar and Ram Paul, he said.
The accused persons in wilful omission to the knowledge borne by them as reflected in the records regarding the land measuring 1 Kanal 13 Marlas belonging to two share holders excluding the name of the complainant against illegal consideration, he said.
Prima facie, it was found that the revenue officers and officials in blatant abuse of their official position and in active connivance with the beneficiary name Ashok Kumar Verma manipulated the revenue record and thus conferred upon him the undue benefit.

The aforesaid acts of omissions and commission on the part of accused public servants and beneficiary Ashok Kumar constitute offences punishable under various section of law, he said.