Single Judge Directs the Listing Of The Matter Before DB
Justice Javed Iqbal Wani of Jammu and Kashmir High Court (Jammu Wing) has directed the Registry to list a writ petition (OWP No.756/2015) highlighting construction of a portion of a Palatial House allegedly on State land comprised in Khasra No.781 situated at Village Deeli (Marble Market), District Jammu by Ex-Revenue Minister-Raman Bhalla before the Division Bench of J&K High Court alongwith PIL No.19/2011 highlighting the encroachment of more than 20 lakhs Kanals of State land in the erstwhile State of J&K.
When this writ petition highlighting construction of a Palatial House belonging to Former Revenue Minister-Raman Bhalla came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioner submitted that the then Revenue Minister grabbed a portion of State land comprised in Khasra No.781 and constructed a Palatial House at Village Deeli (Marble Market), Jammu. The said encroachment has been made adjoining Satyam Resorts and the functionaries of the State in Revenue Department and JMC acted as mute spectators because of the clout enjoyed by the said Ex-Minister.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed further submitted that the land comprised in Khasra No.781 is more than 154 Kanals and it stood transferred to JDA way back in 2004 and the JDA allowed the loot of the said prime land intentionally by the land mafia and both JDA and Revenue Department have been shifting buck upon each other just to perpetuate the encroachment upon land costing crores of rupees situated within the municipal limits.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed further submitted that the subject matter of the instant petition is the land covered under Khasra No.781 situated at Village Deeli, Jammu and it is apt to point out here that the petitioner in PIL No.19/2011 had preferred a Civil Miscellaneous Application No.1972/2020 in the PIL itself highlighting encroachment of JDA land measuring 154 Kanals 05 Marlas comprised in Khasra No.781 situated in Village Deeli, Jammu transferred way back in 2004 to the JDA by the State Government and the Division Bench in its landmark Judgment dated October, 9, 2020 has directed the CBI to investigate this loot of prime JDA land.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed further submitted that the land in question is reflected in the much publicized PIL against land mafia i.e. PIL No.19/2011 sub-judice before the Hon’ble Division Bench of the J&K High Court, in which the Division Bench on October, 9, 2020 delivered a landmark Judgment by transferring the investigation in the infamous Roshini Land Scam to the CBI and also declared Roshini Act as void ab-initio.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed further submitted that since the larger issue of encroachment of State land is sub-judice before the Division Bench in PIL No.19/2011, as such, the instant petition highlighting encroachment by Former Revenue Minister is required to be listed alongwith PIL No.19/2011 before the Division Bench.
After considering the submissions of Advocate S.S. Ahmed appearing for the petitioner, Justice Javed Iqbal Wani directed the Registry to list this petition accordingly after verifying the aforesaid facts from the records. JNF