Jammu, Sep 13 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir vigilance department has registered a case against nine people, including a former revenue secretary and members of a trust run by the erstwhile royal Dogra family, in connection with an alleged multi-crore land scam, officials said today.
The move, however, was strongly opposed by the Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust which termed it as “an unfortunate attack on minority religious institutions and its properties”.
The department found that the Trust used a forged report and leased out a 75-acre government land to seven private businessmen at a cost of Rs 2.90 crore.
A case has been registered against Sachin Dev Singh, then assistant commissioner revenue, Jammu, other officials of the revenue department and members of the Dharmarth Trust.
They have been charged for corruption, forgery and criminal conspiracy, an official spokesman said.
Vigilance department officials carried out searches at several locations in Jammu and Rajouri and seized documents related to the case, the spokesman added.
In a statement, issued tonight, the Jammu and Kashmir Dharmarth Trust strongly opposed the the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) action, saying the act seems to be an unfortunate attack on minority religious institutions and its properties.
“The act of defamation against the ancient Dharmarth Trust created by ex-rulers, the Maharajas is believed to be based on false information and instigated by those having certain vested interests in creating this controversy”, a Trust spokesperson said.
Run by the erstwhile royal Dogra family, the Trust was founded in 1846 by Maharaja Gulab Singh to maintain temples and other properties associated with them in Kashmir, Jammu, Himachal Pardesh, Haridwar and Varanasi.
