The case has been registered following the outcome of Verification No. 02/2024, initiated on a complaint filed by Sohan Singh. The verification prima facie revealed that the accused public servants allegedly misused their official positions and failed to discharge their duties in accordance with law, thereby facilitating wrongful gain to private individuals and causing loss to the complainant as well as the State.
According to the complaint, Singh had purchased one kanal of land falling under Khasra No. 65-min through a registered sale deed dated January 17, 2005. Mutation No. 2229 was subsequently attested on February 18, 2005.
However, the verification revealed that the land actually delivered to and occupied by the complainant falls under Khasra No. 96, which is recorded as State land.
The ACB verification further revealed that the then Patwari Babu Ram and Naib Tehsildar Ram Lal Sharma, allegedly in connivance with private persons Chaman Lal and Ram Chand, facilitated the preparation and issuance of revenue documents on the basis of an unauthenticated Dasti Khaka, without properly verifying the original revenue records and the actual position of the land on the spot.
It was also found that the private persons, through their respective attorney holders Ram Pal and Kasturi Lal, allegedly executed the sale deed and delivered possession of land falling under Khasra No. 96 instead of the land covered under Khasra No. 65-min.
A report submitted by the Tehsildar, Jammu North, on July 10, 2026, also confirmed that the complainant was not in possession of land falling under Khasra No. 65-min but was occupying land under Khasra No. 96, recorded as State land.
Accordingly, the ACB has registered a case under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Sections 120-B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
Further investigation into the matter is underway. (KDC)
