The High Court has directed for listing of a petition alleging construction of a portion of a palatial house on state land by former Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, with the Public Interest Litigation regarding Roshni Scheme.
When this plea came up for hearing before the court, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the former Revenue Minister “grabbed a portion of state land at village Deeli (Marble Market), Jammu.”
The encroachment, he alleged, has been made adjoining Satyam Resorts and the government functionaries in Revenue Department and JMC “acted as mute spectators” because of the clout enjoyed by the former minister.
Ahmed also submitted that a total land of 154 Kanals stood transferred to JDA way back in 2004. However, he said, the JDA allowed the “loot” of the prime land “intentionally” by the land mafia. “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,” he said.
The counsel also submitted that the land in question is reflected in the much publicized PIL against land mafia and is sub-judice before the Division Bench of the High Court.
The Division Bench on October, 9 has already transferred the investigation in the infamous Roshini land scam to the CBI and also declared Roshini Act as void ab-initio.
He submitted that since the larger issue of encroachment of state land is sub-judice before the Division Bench in the PIL (No.19/2011), as such, the instant petition be listed before the same bench. After considering the submissions of Advocate S.S. Ahmed, Justice Javed Iqbal Wani directed the Registry to list this petition accordingly after verifying the aforesaid facts from the records.