SVO books former Custodian General for illegal land allotment

The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) today booked a former Custodian General and other officials for allegedly allotting huge chunk of prime lands to a person at throwaway prices here.
A case has been registered against former Custodian General Jammu, Abdul Majeed Wani and officials of Custodian Department in a case of illegal allotment of land, a senior officer of the SVO said.
A verification conducted into the allegations against officers and officials of Custodian department revealed that by abuse of their official position in league with illegal occupants allotted prime land measuring 20 Kanals (over 2 acres) situated at Sunjwan Bathindi Channi Himmat Jammu in favour of one Mohd Ashraf Sheikh at a throwaway price of Rs 3.6 lacs per kanal against the circle rate of Rs 22 lac per kanal during the year 2013, he said.

They undertook gross irregularities thus causing heavy loss to State Exchequer and illegal benefit to themselves and beneficiaries, he added.
The verification further revealed that the gross irregularities were in the shape of re-allotting the land by fraudulently projecting the land as meant by the beneficiary for religious and institutional purposes, he said.
The land was already allotted in the name of Estate Department in the year 2012, he said.
"On the basis of above mentioned facts, accordingly a Case has been registered in SVO, Jammu against Wani (now retired) and officers-officials of Custodian Department and investigation taken up," he said.