ACB registers cases against ex officials, office bearers of MC Katra, rev officials for illegal mutation of land, recovers incriminating documents during raids

Jammu: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered a case against Nek Ram then Naib Tehsildar Katra, Ravi Kumar then EO MC Katra, Ashwani Kumar then Inspr. MC Katra A/P MC Samba, Mulk Raj Sharma then President MC Katra, Jugal Kishore S/o Nathu Ram R/o Jaganu, Sat Pal S/o Des Raj R/o Jhajjar Kotli, Kailash Nath Pangotra S/o Krishan Chand R/o Trikuta Nagar, Jammu in case of illegal mutating the land title. The ACB teams also recovered incriminating materials during raids from the possession of accused and issued warrants to them. A statement issued from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) reads as under:
In pursuance to a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) conducted by Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding the role of the officers/officials of Municipal Committee Katra and Revenue Department Katra by virtue of which a commercial superstructure had been erected on a state land measuring 05 Marlas falling under Khasra No. 254 min situated in Katra town by one Satpal in violation to the provisions of J&K Control of Building Operation Act (COBA), 1988.
The PE conducted in the matter revealed that piece of land in question was allotted to one Fazlu S/o Shri Hearu R/o Katra vide Revenue Department Order No. 464/U dated 07-05-1964 under a scheme to rehabilitate the landless downtrodden community of “Khakrobes”.Though the state land measuring 5 marlas was allotted to Fazlu, yet the ownership rights regarding the said state land were never conferred upon him and therefore the same could not be sold to any person. In the year 1999, the then Naib Tehsildar Nek Ram without any legal justification changed entries with respect to the said land in Khasra Girdawari register and entered name of one Jugal Kishore who subsequently raised double storeyed superstructure over the said land without obtaining building permission from the MC Katra. It has also been found that on 22-03-2006, Jugal Kishore sold the said piece of land along with the erected structure to one Sat Paul S/o Des Raj R/o Jhajjar Kotli and Kailas Nath Pangotra S/o Late Krishan Chand R/o Trikuta Nagar Jammu for consideration of Rs. 11 lacs through an agreement to sell, duly notarized, however no change was effected in the revenue records in favour of said Sat Paul and Kailash Nath.
Notices u/s 7(1) & 7 (3) of the J&K Control of Building Operation Act were issued by Municipal committee Katra clandestinely in the name of Ashok Kumar S/o Bodh Raj R/o W. No.1, Katra in connection with the aforementioned construction. The notices were never served to the addressee in person but were pasted over under construction building and after expiry of stipulated period no action whatsoever was taken against the violators. Taking advantage of clandestine and superficial process adopted by MC Katra, Jugal Kishore approached MC Katra for a proper building permission whereby his application for building permission with incomplete documents were also issued and shown dispatched. Enquiry further revealed that due to deliberate inaction on the part of Municipal Authorities Katra, the construction work was allowed to continue under the garb of the pendency of application for permission. However, for formality sake a fresh report was submitted by Khilafwarzi Inspector wherein illegal construction of Guest House with changed nomenclature was reported, whereupon again notice was issued to Sat Pal and Kailash Nath to discontinue the construction work and show cause as to why the illegal construction be not demolished. Once again despite serving of notice and expiry of the prescribed time no action was taken by the municipality rather it maintained criminal silence in order to confer undue benefits upon the beneficiaries by abusing their official position.
As such Case FIR No. 02/2020 P/S ACB has been registered in Anti-Corruption Bureau, Udhampur-Reasi Wing u/s 5(1)(d) r/w Sec 5(2) of J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and Section 120-B RPC on the prima facie establishment of offences against Nek Ram, the Naib Tehsildar Katra (2) Ravi Kumar then Executive Officer, Municipal Committee Katra (3) Ashwani Kumar then Inspector Municipal Committee Katra at present posted as Khilafwarzi officer MC Samba (4) Mulkh Raj Sharma then President MC Katra (5) Jugal Kishore S/o Nathu Ram R/o Jaganu, Udhampur (6) Sat pal S/o Des Raj R/o near Shiv Temple, Jhajjar Kotli, Jammu and (7) Kailash Nath Pangotra S/o Krishan Chand R/o H. No. 7, Sec 1-A Extension South, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
After registration of Case FIR No. 02/2020 search warrants were taken from the Anti Corruption Court, Udhampur and in compliance to the order, seven different teams were constituted and searches were conducted. During search incriminating material, documents were seized as evidence. Further investigation is going on.