Srinagar, July 10: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a corruption case against three revenue officials and others for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent attestation of 162 land mutations involving around 1,050 kanals of land in Bijbehara tehsil of Anantnag district.
According to an official statement, the case has been registered against the then Tehsildar Bijbehara, Ghulam Rasool Bhat, the then Naib Tehsildar Bijbehara, Fayaz Ahmad Wani, the concerned Patwari, Ghulam Nabi Banday, and other accused.
The case originated from a source-based complaint alleging that the accused officials, in alleged connivance with others, attested mutations relating to nearly 1,050 kanals of land between 2022 and 2024 without execution of registered transfer deeds and without payment of the prescribed registration fee and stamp duty, resulting in an alleged substantial loss to the government exchequer.
The ACB said verification of the allegations, supported by reports of the Departmental Vigilance Officer (Revenue), departmental inquiry committees and expert opinion, revealed alleged violations of revenue laws and Standing Order 23-A.
According to the bureau, the verification further indicated that the purported relinquishment deeds were allegedly sale transactions disguised to evade registration charges and stamp duty. The investigation also allegedly found that money was routed through intermediaries and multiple bank accounts to conceal the transactions.
Based on the material collected during verification, the ACB said a prima facie case of alleged abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct had been established.
Accordingly, FIR No. 06/2026 has been registered at Police Station ACB, Anantnag, under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code against the accused officials and others.
Immediately after registration of the FIR, the ACB conducted simultaneous searches at the residential premises of the accused after obtaining search warrants from the Court of the Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag. Further investigation into the case is underway.
