ACB Files Chargesheet Against Ex-Kupwara Officials in ₹57 Lakh Bus Stand Land Scam

BARAMULLA, February 27, 2026 — The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has formally filed a chargesheet against former Municipal Committee (MC) Kupwara officials and a private individual for the illegal encroachment and construction on land specifically designated for the expansion of the Regipora Bus Stand.

The chargesheet, presented before the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court in Baramulla, names Bashir Ahmad Dar, the then Executive Officer of MC Kupwara, Mohammad Abdullah Malik, the then Khilafwarzi Inspector, and Ghulam Mohammad Mir, an attorney holder who allegedly carried out the illegal construction.

According to the ACB investigations, Dar bypassed mandatory protocols and ignored prior rejections from his predecessors to grant two unauthorized building permissions for a double-storey shopping complex on land that had already been acquired by the government. The probe revealed that the officials willfully neglected the lack of a mandatory NOC from the Town Planning Organization and violated the Jammu and Kashmir Control of Building Operation Act 1988.

This fraudulent activity resulted in a direct loss of ₹57,37,500 to the state exchequer, as the government had already paid compensation for the land. By prioritizing private interests over the public’s right to a developed transport hub, the accused have been charged under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and section 120-B of the RPC, with the next court hearing scheduled for April 18, 2026.