Budgam: A land grabbing mafia is reported to have resurfaced in Budgam district, particularly around Yusmarg area, sparking deep concern among orchardists and landowners about the brazen audacity of the land grabbing group, flouting court orders, owners’ established possession and Revenue records.
As per reports, several landowners in the area are now preparing to hold a press conference to seek juatice by making public the modus operandi, important documents of this attempted land grab and, possibly, also approach the CBI and the Crime Branch after exhausting all available administrative and legal remedies.
Landowners allege that a well-orchestrated modus operandi is once again being deployed by what they call a “localised kabza cartel” to illegally dispossess people of their milkiyati and in-possession land.
The process allegedly begins with attempts to block access routes to legitimate landholdings, followed by filing for restraint orders in lower courts under false pretexts, then applying for land regularisation under misleading claims with the Revenue Department, and eventually trying to manipulate revenue records with the alleged connivance of some employees. They also plan to expose the modus operandi of using gift deed instruments being used for tax evasion and illegally occupy land of genuine owners.
“Once all these tactics are used, the mafia then resorts to blackmail and coercion, demanding large sums from genuine landowners to settle the matter,” said one of the affected orchardists.
Many victims say they have approached all possible authorities for redress, but have received no relief so far.
“We have tried everything for the last two years – petitions, meeting officers – but the Mafia is continuously emboldened and trying to grab land at will. We are now holding a press conference in coming days to make the issue public and may consider to formally write to the CBI and Crime Branch to investigate the matter, the modus operandi behind this attempted land grab”, said one of the affected land owners.
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