Shivam Bakshi
Jammu, July 8 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered two FIRs after uncovering an alleged fresh Custodian land scam in Jammu district, involving revenue officials, beneficiaries and alleged land grabbers accused of fraudulently securing ownership rights over government land.
According to the ACB, the alleged scam pertains to Custodian land in the Bhalwal and Amb areas, where officials of the Revenue and Custodian departments, in connivance with beneficiaries and Form Alaf holders, allegedly manipulated revenue records to facilitate illegal mutations and subsequent sale of government land.
The Bureau said its verification into complaints revealed that several ineligible persons were allegedly granted additional Custodian land without any valid government or Provisional Rehabilitation Office (PRO) orders, while in some cases fake allotment orders were purportedly used to obtain ownership rights.
The ACB said it had earlier detected irregularities involving more than 1,000 kanals of Custodian land, leading to the registration of 27 FIRs, with investigations still underway.
In the latest action, FIR No. 09/2026 was registered after the Bureau found a prima facie conspiracy involving revenue officials and private individuals in the fraudulent alienation of around 12 kanals and three marlas of Custodian land.
A second case, FIR No. 10/2026, was registered following verification of a complaint alleging fraudulent mutations and illegal conferment of ownership rights over nearly 15 kanals and eight marlas of land in Village Amb, Tehsil Bhalwal.
The ACB alleged that revenue officials abused their official positions and entered into a criminal conspiracy with beneficiaries to facilitate the illegal transfer of land, resulting in substantial loss to the government exchequer.
The Bureau said investigations in both cases are in progress.(NVI)
