Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 7: Additional sessions judge, anti-corruption, Baramulla, Jatinder Singh Jamwal has reserved his order on framing of charges against the 'high-profile' accused in the Gulmarg Land Scam.
After hearing a battery of lawyers representing then divisional commissioner, Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal, then deputy commissioner, Baramulla, Baseer Khan and more than eight top hoteliers of Kashmir, the court reserved its orders on the framing of charges against the accused. When the counsel for the accused argued for their discharge, claiming that VOK (vigilance organisation, Kashmir) had wrongly booked them in this case the public prosecutor representing VOK justified the registration of FIR and sought framing of charges against the high profile accused. He alleged that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy with the hoteliers and deprived the state of valuable land worth crores. He said there was no question of grant of ownership rights to the hoteliers when the land was out of the purview of Roshini Act.
The Gulmarg Land Scam had come into limelight in 2009 after VOK registered an FIR in this matter against IAS officers -- Mehboob Iqbal and Baseer Khan -- and more than eight hoteliers of Kashmir for the alleged grant of ownership of state land duly transferred to Gulmarg Development Authority.
The VOK, after completion of investigation, had sought sanction for prosecution from the government but it was delayed. On the division bench directive, VOK produced a challan under Section 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act against Mehboob and others in the court of special judge, anti-corruption, Srinagar, and it also filed a supplementary challan against Baseer Khan after the receipt of the prosecution sanction from DOPT, Government of India. The special judge, anti-corruption later transferred both the challans to the court of additional sessions judge, Baramulla, in view of conferment of powers under PC Act upon it. After hearing a battery of lawyers, the judge reserved his orders on framing of charges. (JNF) |
