CBI takes over probe into ₹25,000-crore land scam in J&K

The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered three separate circumstances in reference to the ₹25,000-crore “Roshni” land scam, following the Jammu & Kashmir High Court’s directive to probe the alleged function of public servants and others in grabbing massive tracts of presidency land.

Earlier this month, the Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, often known as the Roshni Act, was declared null and void, after the Court termed it unconstitutional and unsustainable.

The High Court issued the instructions on October 9 for the CBI to take over the investigation in the circumstances earlier instituted by the then Vigilance Organisation in Jammu, now referred to as Anti-Corruption Bureau. Bansi Lal Gupta, a Jammu-based businessman, has been named as an accused in one FIR. Officials of the Jammu Development Authority are additionally underneath the scanner.

The first case alleges that the Revenue Department officers in Jammu prolonged undue advantages upon the unlawful occupants by deliberately ignoring the provisions of the Roshni Act and the related guidelines, conferring possession rights to some undeserving individuals and subsequently, brought on enormous financial loss to the exchequer.

“It was alleged that the purpose of the Jammu and Kashmir State Lands (Vesting of Ownership Rights to the Occupants) Act, 2001, i.e. generation of revenue for undertaking developmental works in the State, was defeated,” stated the company.

In the second case, unknown Revenue officers of Samba have been accused of committing the same offence. “It was further alleged that in many cases, ownership rights over the State land were conferred in favour of the individuals who were not having the possession in their respective names in the revenue records,” stated the CBI.

The FIR additionally alleges that the charges weren’t fastened by the value fixation committee, as per the provisions of the Act and in many circumstances weren’t remitted to the federal government treasury.

The third case names Mr. Gupta for allegedly conspiring with unknown authorities officers to get the possession rights to a land parcel measuring 5 kanal and two marlas. The accused illegally regularised the possession with none entry in the income file and issued a no-objection certificates in favour of the beneficiary for the development of a business constructing on the land in query.

Observing that it was a “loot to own” coverage, the High Court had in its order stated: “That these looters could motivate a legislation to facilitate their nefarious design, by itself speaks about their insidious and deep penetration into the corridors of power and authority; about the level and scale of their influence at all levels and suggests involvement of all those who mattered including in propounding and implementation of the policy.”

The order stated: “There exist glaring instances of State lands being illegally vested by under valuation of the land. In a large number of cases, the State lands stand vested without payment of any amount which is completely illegal and void. Tthe large tracts of State lands vested under the Roshni Act, 2001 and those under encroachment must be retrieved in accordance with law,” it stated.

By the alleged unlawful working of the federal government functionaries, out of the particular switch of round 3,48,200 kanals of land underneath the Act, the main portion of over 3,40,100 kanals had been transferred freed from value as agricultural land, the High Court noticed.