ACB Charges Former Patwari for Corruption in Land Mutation Case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a chargesheet against Mohd Saleem Banday, a former revenue official, for allegedly abusing his position in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir. Banday is accused of illegally attesting land mutations, violating rules under the Agrarian Reforms Act to benefit select beneficiaries.

The ACB presented the chargesheet to the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Udhampur. The allegations include the misuse of official authority to unlawfully confer ownership rights. Investigations revealed that Section 6 of the Agrarian Reforms Act, meant for dwelling houses, was misapplied, as the property involved commercial structures.

Officials claim that Banday, alongside the late Naib Tehsildar of Tikri, unjustly favored certain individuals. Banday remains in judicial custody, having been implicated in another bribery case, and is currently under investigation for a separate 2013 case.