Villagers Allege Massive Fraud, Bribery in Highway Compensation; Patwari Under Fire, SDM Orders Probe
Protestors Accuse Revenue Officials of Manipulating Records, Inflating Measurements, Wrongful Payments, Demanding Lakhs in Bribes.
- Massive protests have erupted in Gandharwan, Akhnoor, with villagers accusing local Revenue officials, particularly a Patwari (holding additional charge), of rampant corruption, harassment, and demanding bribes up to ₹13 Lakh for processing land compensation related to the Jammu-Poonch National Highway.
- Aggrieved landowners allege deliberate mismeasurement of acquired land (e.g., 80ft road width allegedly inflated to 220ft for Khasra No. 776), wrongful award and payment to unentitled parties (Khasra No. 815 vs. 809, Khasra No. 739), diversion of road alignment to benefit influentials, and manipulation of records, including alleged backdated entries despite court restraints.
- Despite previous inquiries by DC Jammu’s office, which reportedly saved ₹11 Crore from wrongful disbursement (related to Khasra No. 749) but failed to punish errant officials, the current crisis persists, forcing SDM Akhnoor Mukhtar Ahmed to assure a fresh inquiry by an SIT from outside Akhnoor, warning of action against officials if guilty, or complainants if allegations are baseless.
- Protestors, who have been denied rightful compensation for over 1.5 years, demand an immediate high-level, independent probe into the entire affair, scrutiny of the Patwari and a Naib Tehsildar, and urgent intervention from higher authorities to clear dues and ensure accountability for the alleged large-scale fraud.
Akhnoor, May 27, 2025: A major land acquisition scandal, replete with explosive allegations of widespread corruption, brazen bribery demands, and systemic manipulation by Revenue officials, has erupted in Gandharwan village, Akhnoor, concerning compensation for land acquired for the crucial Jammu-Poonch National Highway. Enraged villagers, including women and children, staged a forceful protest at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Office in Akhnoor today, blocking the main gate and temporarily restraining the SDM’s official vehicle, demanding immediate action against the accused officials, primarily the local Patwari, who holds additional charge. The protestors claim that legitimate landowners are being harassed and denied their rightful dues for over 1.5 years, while unentitled parties are allegedly benefiting from doctored records and inflated measurements, with demands for bribes reportedly reaching as high as ₹13 Lakh.
The litany of allegations paints a grim picture of deep-seated rot within the local revenue machinery. Villagers whose lands were acquired for the highway project (acquisition initiated 2021-22 & 2023) claim the compensation process has been deliberately complicated and mired in illicit dealings. One glaring example cited involves Khasra No. 776, where the actual road width required was 80 feet, but revenue records were allegedly manipulated to show nearly 220 feet. This discrepancy, protestors argue, was designed to facilitate wrongful compensation claims. “Our party was awarded for 32 Marlas. The party now claiming compensation within this stretch… is entitled to only 22 Marlas in total,” explained a protesting farmer, alleging that Revenue officials themselves guide rival parties to file complaints on legitimate awards to “keep their own system running.”
Further allegations point to brazen manipulation concerning Khasra No. 815, for which ₹35 Lakh compensation was allegedly disbursed. Protestors boldly assert this land does not fall within the road alignment and that the payment was actually due for Khasra No. 809, which they own. “Khasra No. 815 was falsely shown as acquired, and taxpayer money was given away,” one stated. Similar irregularities are claimed for Khasra Nos. 745 and 739, where ₹22 Lakh was allegedly paid to co-sharers while rightful owners were troubled. “An earlier wrongful payment of ₹11.31 Lakh for Khasra No. 622 has still not been recovered,” a protestor highlighted, questioning the recovery mechanism for wrongly disbursed funds. Payments have also allegedly been made for “Gair Mumkin Khassi” (uncultivable land) and even Forest Land, with road alignments reportedly diverted to save properties of influential individuals.
The local Patwari with additional charge, is at the epicenter of these accusations. Protestors claim that despite court directions restraining him from making entries or altering records for certain Khasra numbers, he has allegedly continued to do so, including making backdated entries without following due procedure. Beyond alleged record manipulation, the Patwari, alongside a Naib Tehsildar, is accused of demanding hefty bribes. “The Patwari demanded thirteen lakh rupees… then there was talk of seven lakh… these are false claims that any money was returned,” one affected individual stated, claiming video and photographic evidence exists.
The villagers expressed immense frustration that despite previous inquiries reportedly initiated by the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jammu, involving the Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR), their grievances remain unaddressed. While one such past intervention, based on their complaints, reportedly led to the rectification of wrongful entries for about 30 Kanals of land (Khasra No. 749, where road width was allegedly inflated from 80ft to 400ft), saving approximately ₹11 Crore of taxpayer money from wrongful disbursement, no punitive action was taken against the officials responsible for the initial erroneous entries. “The DC sahib took a good initiative… but despite finding the officials at fault… no action has been taken against those who made these incorrect entries,” a protestor lamented.
In response to today’s protest and the gravity of the allegations, SDM Akhnoor, Mukhtar Ahmed, patiently listened to the residents. He assured them that a fresh inquiry will be initiated, promising to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising members from outside Akhnoor to ensure impartiality. He stated that if officials are found involved, strict action would be taken, but also warned that if the allegations prove to be motivated or baseless, the complainants would face administrative repercussions. The SDM is also reportedly planning to hold a camp within the next few days to listen to grievances.
However, the public is demanding more than just assurances. They are calling for an immediate, high-level, independent investigation into the entire land acquisition and compensation process in Gandharwan. Their demands include:
- A thorough probe into the allegations of bribery against the named Patwari and Naib Tehsildar.
- Scrutiny of all alleged irregularities in land identification, measurement, and record manipulation.
- Immediate clearance of all pending legitimate compensation payments.
- Review of the roles of officials involved in previous inquiries to understand why issues were not resolved and culprits not punished.
- Securing and examining all alleged evidence, including videos and photographs.
The protesting families have pledged to continue their peaceful protest until justice is served. They are appealing to higher authorities, including the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Poonch, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, and the Financial Commissioner Revenue, to intervene decisively. “If government money worth crores is being wrongfully disbursed, isn’t there any law for these officials?” they questioned, demanding accountability and an end to the alleged nexus that is depriving them of their rights and defrauding the exchequer. The unfolding scandal in Gandharwan calls for urgent and resolute action to restore public trust and ensure that development projects do not become conduits for corruption.
