atul sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 17: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch Kashmir on Thursday carried out searches at multiple locations across Srinagar and Budgam in connection with a land scam involving alleged corruption, cheating, and manipulation of revenue records. The raids are linked to an FIR registered against seven individuals, including a Tehsildar, for their roles in the fraudulent mutation of prime land.
According to officials, the case was registered following a written complaint received by the Crime Branch. The complainant alleged that she had purchased 5 kanals and 4 marlas of land at Balhama for ₹17 lakh per kanal from one Mohammed Shafi Lone alias Shafi Cheeni. A total payment of ₹88.4 lakh was made, and three sale deeds were prepared. Additionally, the complainant gave two kanals of land at Gooripora in exchange, which was subsequently sold by the accused.
The complaint further stated that the sale deeds were temporarily taken back under the pretext of updating records. However, upon their return, the complainant discovered that the Khasra numbers had been tampered with. The original Khasra numbers—314 and 315—were altered to 290 and 325, and later to 316, 312, and 324 min. One of the original entries, 290, was repeated to create further confusion.
The complainant claimed she remained in possession of the land until 2 kanals and 10 marlas were forcibly occupied by another individual. The encroacher, identified as Rayaz Ahmad Bhat of Nowgam, Srinagar, claimed to have purchased the land from a third party, even though the land was not rightfully his to sell.
Following the complaint, a preliminary inquiry was initiated at EOW Police Station in Srinagar. The investigation revealed prima facie evidence of deceit and deliberate falsification of survey numbers in the sale deeds, allegedly carried out in connivance with revenue officials.
The probe further uncovered that false mutations were subsequently entered into the revenue records by the then Tehsildar of Balhama, Nusrat Aziz, and then Patwari Ashiq Ali, to confer illegal ownership benefits on Rayaz Ahmad Bhat, who sold land he did not own.
The accused in the case include, Nusrat Aziz, daughter of Abdul Aziz Lone, resident of Gurez, currently residing in Mehjoor Nagar, Srinagar (then Tehsildar, Balhama), Ashiq Ali, son of Ghulam Rasool Khan, resident of Panner Jagir, currently at Hawal Srinagar (then Patwari, Balhama), Rayaz Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, resident of Nowgam, Srinagar, Mohammad Shafi Lone alias Shafi Cheeni, son of Abdul Ahad Lone, resident of Sector B, Peerbagh, Srinagar, Shamima Akhter, wife of Mohammad Shafi Lone, resident of Gooripora, Rawalpora, Shahnawaz Ahmad Rather, son of Noor Mohammad Rather, resident of Padshahi Bagh, Srinagar, and Shabir Ahmad Wani, son of Mohammad Ismail Wani, resident of Bagandar, Lasjan,
The case has been registered under Sections 167, 420, 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, as FIR No. 14/2025 at Police Station EOW, Crime Branch Kashmir.
Following registration, search warrants were obtained from the competent court, and raids are currently underway at seven different locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts.
Importantly, Nusrat Aziz and several co-accused are also involved in an earlier case (FIR No. 08/2021) registered under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B RPC, and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, also being investigated by the Crime Branch Kashmir. That case is nearing completion.
“The accused have been operating in an organised manner, causing substantial financial losses and distress to innocent citizens in Srinagar and Budgam,” the Crime Branch stated. |
