In the much publicized Public Interest Litigation highlighting encroachment of 20 lakh kanals of State Land by the powerful land mafia in league with Politicians, Revenue Officials and Police Officers, a Division Bench of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh Bindal, directed Anticorruption Bureau to submit the latets status of all the 17 FIRs registered at VOJ/VOK in the years 2014 and 2015 regarding irregulatrties in the implementation of Roshni Scheme.
Division Bench also took note of FIR 8/2009 P/S VOK i.e. infamous Gulmarg Land Scam and Division Bench sought complete record of the proceedings as it is pointed out that despite three orders of Division bench the Trial Court has not been able to conclude the proceedings on framing of charges/ discharge.
DB also directed Advocate Adarsh Sharma appearing for the JDA to submit the latest status of the land retireved from land mafia after completion of demarcation exercise.
DB further directed Advocate Adarsh Sharma to file complete utilization plan for the land retrieved sofar in Jammu and Samba District.
During the course of hearing, DB observed that the similar matter filed by Adv Ankur Sharma is fixed on march 12, 2020 wherein the vires of Roshni Act has been challenged and directed the Registry to place this PIL along with PIL No 41/2014 titiled Ankur Sharma vs State & ors.
A Battery of Senior Advocates KS Johal, Sunil Sethi, Sr. AAG SS Nanda, Deputy AG Ayjaz Lone, Adv Sanchit Verma vice AAG Raman Sharma appeared on behalf of repsodents whereas Advocate SS Ahmed with Advocates Rahul Raina and Supriya Chouhan appeared for the PIL.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed further submitted that in view of the demarcation of more than 66000 kanals of JDA land in Jammu/ Samba Districts upon the directions of the Division Bench the Miscellaneous Application No.48/2014 regarding Roshini land scam could not be considered by the Division Bench and further the SVO also did not apprise the Division Bench about the current status of the multi-crore Roshini land scam. JNF