The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday said it had initiated an investigation into a scam where the Indian Army is being forced to pay rent for land in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, PTI reported. The investigating agency has filed a First Information Report in the matter alleging that Army officials were paying rent based on false documentation provided by the sub divisional defence estate officer, a Patwari and several others in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nowshera.
“It has been learnt that as per Jamabandhi register for the year 1969-70 of the land in question, which is under the occupation of Maqbooza [Occupied] Pakistan, rents are being paid by the defence estate to the alleged owner,” CBI officials told PTI.
In the FIR, the agency said, “The Army acquired the land on rent from civilians. A board comprising an Army officer, defence estate and revenue department officials approved the rent after physically verifying the land. But in this matter, the board of officers were involved in a criminal conspiracy and had wrongly verified that the land was acquired by the Army, whereas the same is situated in PoK,” The Times of India reported.
The CBI says beneficiaries of the scam secured Rs 6 lakh.
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