Jammu, Aug 22 The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and J&K Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday carried out raids at multiple locations in Jammu district in connection with a land allotment fraud.
These raids were carried out at locations in Jammu rural areas and the city, including Canal Road, targeting the residences of a personal assistant (PA) to a former minister, a Patwari, and several property dealers.
Official sources said the raids began early morning, and the fraud was done by the revenue officials and some influential people, including the former Minister's PA.
The sources said that the ED launched the operations at nine locations, including eight in Jammu and one in Udhampur. The case is about land grabbing and corruption involving the custodian land.
Sources said the action has been initiated against Pranav Dev Singh, Patwari; Rahul Kai, Patwari; Akeel Ahmed, Naib Tehsildar, and several others.
“The case relates to the alleged illegal transfer and grabbing of the Custodian land, which belongs to evacuees from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, since 2022 onwards. Searches were carried out at residential and office premises of the accused persons to gather evidence of corruption, illegal property transactions, and possible money laundering," said the officials.
The ED case is based on an FIR registered by J&K ACB (Central), which had flagged serious irregularities in land dealings involving government officials and private beneficiaries.
“Custodian land in Jammu has remained under scrutiny for years, with several complaints of fraudulent mutations, encroachments, and misuse of authority by officials in nexus with private parties,”, sources added.
More details were awaited.
The latest ED action is seen as part of a wider crackdown on corruption linked to state land in the region.
The ED on Thursday provisionally attached immovable property worth Rs 77.66 crore in connection with a Rs 200 crore bank loan fraud in which the beneficiaries had done blatant diversion of loan money to create assets beyond the purview of the sanctioned loan by utilising funds meant to be otherwise used for the bona fide purpose.
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