J&K ACB Registers Case Against Former Bijbehara Tehsildar In Massive Illegal Land Mutation Scam
SRINAGAR, JULY 09, 2026: The Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has formally registered a criminal case against Ghulam Rasool Bhat, the former Tehsildar of Bijbehara, alongside several other revenue officials, for their alleged involvement in a massive fraudulent land mutation scam. The enforcement action targets a syndicate including the then Naib Tehsildar Fayaz Ahmad Wani, concerned Patwari Ghulam Nabi Banday, and various intermediaries. The accused are implicated in the illegal attestation of 162 land mutations covering approximately 1,050 kanals of land in the Bijbehara Tehsil between 2022 and 2024.
The investigation was initiated following a source-based complaint revealing that these revenue officers conspired to bypass mandatory legal frameworks. The officials allegedly authorized land transfers without executing legally registered transfer deeds, entirely evading prescribed registration fees and stamp duties, which resulted in a severe financial loss to the state exchequer. Rigorous verification by the ACB—bolstered by reports from the Departmental Vigilance Officer (Revenue), departmental inquiry committees, and expert legal opinions—exposed flagrant violations of established revenue laws and Standing Order 23-A. Investigators uncovered that the parties involved utilized fraudulent relinquishment deeds to disguise actual commercial sale transactions, subsequently routing illicit funds through intermediaries and multiple bank accounts to mask the money trail.
With prima facie evidence firmly establishing criminal conspiracy, misconduct, and the blatant abuse of official positions, the agency has registered FIR No. 06/2026 at Police Station ACB, Anantnag. The accused face charges under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, alongside Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Immediately following the filing of the FIR, the ACB executed court-authorized search warrants granted by the Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag, launching simultaneous raids across the residential properties of the accused individuals. Further investigations into the expansive land fraud network are currently underway.