Rajouri Land Transfer Scandal: Top Revenue Officials Among Four Booked

The Anti-Corruption Bureau charged four individuals, including two revenue officials, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for illegal land transfer in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. Former Tehsildar Balwant Singh and Patwari Mohd Rafiq conspired with beneficiaries Kanwal Singh and Masood Anwar to unlawfully declare Kanwal Singh as the sole Tenant-at-will, excluding other heirs. Unauthorized record entries facilitated the transfer for personal financial gain.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday charged four people, including two revenue officials, under the Prevention of Corruption Act for the illegal transfer of a piece of land in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

A case was registered against Balwant Singh, former Tehsildar of Rajouri and Mohd Rafiq, former Patwari of Rehtal, along with private beneficiaries Kanwal Singh and Masood Anwar, ACB officials said.

The case emerged from an ACB investigation following a written complaint alleging that in 2010, Balwant Singh conspired with Kanwal Singh to illegally declare him as the sole Tenant-at-will of a property, excluding other legal heirs and successors of the late landowner, Brij Lal, they said.

The verification process revealed that Singh and Rafiq unlawfully transferred land to the beneficiaries by making unauthorized entries in official records, they added.

The ACB said that these actions, driven by criminal conspiracy and abuse of official positions, provided undue benefits to the beneficiaries for personal financial gain.

A case was registered against the accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act, they said.