The News Craving
Srinagar:
Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) J&K on Friday said to have registered two FIRs against Girdawar for disproportionate assets and for illegal and fraudulent mutation in revenue record.
A spokesman in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that Anti corruption Bureau conducted verification into the allegations of accumulation of Disproportionate Assets (DA) through corrupt practices by one Patwari Halqa Matipora Pattan namely Abdul Majid Sheikh @ Malla R/o Wahigund Kunzer, Baramulla, (Now Girdawar Qanoongo Circle Nowshera Tehsil Boniyar).
“The verification revealed that the public servant possesses various disproportionate assets, including immovable and movable properties acquired in his name and in the names of his family members. The properties include several plots of land and structures in Wahigund, Kunzer, and Pattan, Baramulla, all acquired during the check period. Additionally, he has constructed a double-storey house on ancestral land and has substantial transactions in various bank accounts,” reads the statement.
Upon concluding the probe, the ACB registered Case FIR at PS ACB Baramulla against Abdul Majid Sheikh. Searches at his residence led to the seizure of Rs 3.80 lakh in cash and other incriminating documents. “The investigation further revealed that Sheikh had purchased over 16 kanals of land under different survey numbers at Wahigund Kunzer. These properties were fraudulently mutated via oral gift deeds to evade stamp duty and registration fees.”
The investigation identified that revenue officers Bashir Ahmad Reshi, Manzoor Ahmad Khanday, and Altaf Hussain Khan colluded with Sheikh to fraudulently enter these mutations in the revenue records, violating laid down norms. This included altering mutation records to falsely show land as orally gifted to Sheikh and his family members.
“The ACB’s verification uncovered that these revenue officials, in conspiracy with Sheikh, facilitated the evasion of stamp duty and registration charges, leading to undue pecuniary gains and significant loss to the government exchequer. Consequently, a separate FIR No 08/2024 under section 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) J&K PC Act Svt-2006 and sections 467, 468, 471, 120-B of RPC was registered at ACB PS Baramulla. Investigations against all involved parties are ongoing,” it reads.—(KNO).
