EOW carries out searches in Srinagar, Budgam in corruption case

The Economic Offences Wing carried out searches at multiple locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts on Thursday in connection with a case against seven people, including two revenue department officials, for alleged corruption and cheating.

“Search warrants have been obtained from a court and searches are underway at seven locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts,” a spokesperson of the EOW, which was earlier known as the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, said.

Giving details of the case, he said seven people, including then Balahama tehsildar Nusrat Aziz Lone and patwari Ashiq Ali were booked earlier this year for “fraudulently” making insertions in revenue records to benefit a private person.

The case against them was lodged following a written complaint, wherein it was alleged that the complainant had purchased a piece of land at Balhama from Mohammed Shafi Lone alias Shafi Cheeni and prepared three sale deeds.

The complainant had paid an amount or Rs 88.4 lakh to Shafi Cheeni and also given two kanals of land situated at Gooripora Rawalpora to the accused in exchange for the said land. This two-kanal land was subsequently sold off by the accused. It was also alleged that the sale deeds were taken back by the accused for updating records.

“However, after their return, it was found that insertions have been made in the sale deeds by changing Khasra numbers,” the EOW spokesperson said.

The complainant has also alleged that one Rayaz Ahmad Bhat has forcibly occupied 2.5 kanals of the land at Balhama.

On receiving the complaint, a verification process was initiated at the EOW police station in Srinagar and during the probe, it was prima facie substantiated that the accused had deceived the complainant and inserted wrong survey numbers in the sale deeds, in connivance with the revenue officers and officials concerned.

“During the investigation, it also surfaced that false mutations were inserted afterwards in the revenue records by the then Balhama tehsildar Nusrat Aziz and the then patwari Ashiq Ali illegally to confer undue benefit upon Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, who sold the land which did not belong to him,” the EOW spokesperson said.