Jammu : The Jammu & Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau ( J&K ACB) on Wednesday said that it has uncovered a land scam involving Custodian land in the Bhalwal and Amb areas of Jammu.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday J&K ACB said that two FIRs have been registered against various revenue officials, beneficiaries, and alleged land grabbers. The investigation revealed that thousands of kanals of Custodian land were illegally appropriated by a land mafia in collusion with Form Alaf holders and officials from the Custodian and Revenue departments. The ACB’s verification process indicated that over 1,000 kanals of Custodian land had been fraudulently allotted to ineligible displaced persons based on counterfeit orders. This fraudulent activity involved tampering with revenue records, allowing land grabbers to sell the land to various individuals. Further investigations disclosed that some displaced persons from Pakistan/PoK had already received land allotments, yet their relatives, despite lacking eligibility, managed to secure additional land mutations through illicit means, including fake orders and collusion with local revenue officials. The ACB established a clear connection between the land grabbers, Form Alaf holders, and revenue officials in the illegal alienation of approximately 12 kanals and three marlas of Custodian land, resulting in FIR No. 09/2026 being filed against six individuals, including revenue officials. Additionally, a complaint led to the registration of FIR No. 10/2026, which detailed how revenue officials conspired with a beneficiary to fraudulently confer ownership rights over about 15 kanals and eight marlas of land, further harming the government’s financial interests. Investigations into both cases are ongoing.
