J&K High Court has directed Tehsildhar Pahalgam to issue fresh bailable warrants against the persons who have illegally received compensation in a case of land acquisition for expansion of Pahalgam Golf Course (PGC).
A division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta directed the Tehsildar to file the status report within six months.
The direction came after the Court pointed out that it had ordered coercive action against the persons who had to deposit with the revenue authorities the compensation they had taken illegally.
With regard to one beneficiary, Muhammad Ramzan who had had approached it with an application praying for stay of the warrant issued against him, the Court said it had considered this application on 10 May 2019 and accepted his undertaking to deposit the compensation with the office of Tehsildar.
While senior Additional Advocate General NH Shah sought time to inform the Court with regard to status of compensation, the Court said: “The report shows that the amount has not been deposited”.
In 2018, the Court had treated the manipulation of records for giving compensation to people who were not entitled to it against land acquisition for extension of the Golf Course as Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The Court asked the government as to why the matter should not be referred to Central Bureau of Investigation for probe to bring to justice the erring government functionaries and beneficiaries in the matter involving huge exchequer.
“What action should be taken against the erring government functionaries and officers, including the concerned revenue officers who remained posted in Anantnag and had an occasion to deal with the matter,” the Court asked.