Rajouri officials, residents booked for sale of govt land

Jammu, January 8

After retrieving 34.25 acres of government land during an anti-encroachment drive, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district have now registered cases against some officials and persons for selling the state land, an official spokesman said today.

Cases have also been filed for wrongful vesting of titles and allowing illegal constructions, the spokesman said.

“Details were shared by the (displaced) families about the persons who sold the land over a period of many years and accordingly, the administration has lodged a case under various sections of the RPC against private persons and officials involved in the matter,” the spokesman said.

He said the charges in the case included cheating, forgery for the purpose of cheating and criminal trespass etc.

Earlier, during a day-long drive on January 6 in Rajouri town, authorities retrieved 34.25 acres of land from illegal occupation and demolished over 30 illegal structures, including 14 shops and 11 concrete residential houses, apart from a vast network of concrete plinths and foundations.

“A team is already looking into the role of some officials into illegal constructions and wrongful vesting of ownership rights,” the spokesman said, adding that a joint team of police along with revenue officials would conduct a detailed investigation.

After the demolition drive, according to the spokesman, process has been set into motion for relief and rehabilitation of displaced families on humanitarian grounds.

“The district administration has provided alternate accommodation to seven displaced families and Rs 25,000 was given to each family apart from ration and essential commodities,” he added. — PTI