Srinagar, Oct 11, KDC: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has launched a criminal investigation into a large-scale evacuee property land scam involving officials of the Revenue and Custodian Departments, who allegedly conspired with private beneficiaries to illegally exchange prime government land on Gupkar Road.
An official official of the Anti-Corruption Bureau told Kashmir Dot Com that the Bureau has initiated a major probe after unearthing serious irregularities in the exchange of evacuee land measuring around 17 marlas situated at the highly valuable Gupkar Road, Srinagar. The land, the official said, was illegally swapped with property of comparatively lesser value located elsewhere, in blatant violation of established government procedures and judicial directions.
The ACB official said that the exchange was executed without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Defence Estates Office and in contravention of the orders of the Hon’ble High Court of Jammu and Kashmir. “The enquiry conducted by the Bureau revealed that certain officials of the Revenue Department and Custodian Evacuee Property Department had deliberately ignored legal formalities, manipulated land records, and colluded with private parties to facilitate the unlawful exchange,” the official said.
He added that the enquiry established how revenue extracts and tenancy columns were falsified and manipulated to conceal the actual ownership and tenancy details of the land. “Certain officials attested and verified fake revenue records, enabling the transfer of evacuee property into private names. The exchanged land at Gupkar Road holds high commercial and strategic value, making the illegal act particularly grave,” the official said.
According to the official, mandatory scrutiny and permissions from competent authorities, including the Defence Estates Office, were deliberately bypassed, revealing a premeditated conspiracy between public officials and private beneficiaries. “The actions constitute criminal misconduct, abuse of official position, forgery, and conspiracy under law, resulting in wrongful gain to private parties and substantial loss to the state exchequer,” the ACB official stated.
The official said that the illegal acts not only caused heavy financial damage to the government but also undermined the custodianship framework protecting evacuee assets meant to remain under state control. “Based on the findings, Case FIR No. 19/2025 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar under Section 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt. 2006 and Section 120-B of the RPC,” the official said.
He added that further investigation is in progress to unearth the full extent of the conspiracy, identify all individuals involved, and trace the illegal financial transactions made during the process. “More arrests and departmental actions are expected as the probe advances,” the ACB official said.
The Bureau has appealed to the public to remain alert and report any instance of corruption or illegal activity involving public servants through its helpline or official communication channels. (KDC)
