DC Jammu Cracks Whip: Girdawar, Patwari suspended in Major Land Scam Allegedly Linked to Ex-MLC’s Family; ADM to Probe Record Tampering

Officials Accused of Gross Irregularities, Manipulating Acquittance Rolls to Illegally Convert State Land; Vaishya’s Zero Tolerance Against Corruption Hailed

Deputy Commissioner Jammu Sachin Kumar Vaishya (IAS), demonstrating his hallmark zero-tolerance stance against corruption, has suspended NSQ (Girdawar) Abhay Manhas and Patwari Fateh Ali (Halqa Bain Bajalta) for “gross irregularities” and unauthorized manipulation of official acquittance rolls, allegedly to illegally convert state land into private property, with links to Ex-MLC Mohd Hussain’s family.
The officials are accused of fraudulently reporting state land in Khasra No. 526 of Bain Bajalta as private property in possession of the Ex-MLC’s son, Mohd Gulzar, and suspiciously “airlifting” a plot from Khasra No. 289 to Khasra No. 526 on records; Additional District Magistrate Rakesh Kumar (IAS) will conduct a 7-day inquiry (DCJ (Adm) 58 of 2025, Dated 28.05.2025).

jj correspondent
Jammu, May 30, 2025: In a decisive move highlighting his unflinching commitment to combat corruption and Misconduct within the administration, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sachin Kumar Vaishya (IAS), has ordered the immediate suspension of two Revenue officials. The officials, Abhay Manhas, NSQ (Girdawar) posted at the DC Office Jammu, and Fateh Ali, Patwari of Patwar Halqa Bain Bajalta, Tehsil Jammu, face serious allegations of “gross irregularities” and tampering with official records, reportedly to facilitate large-scale land grabbing, with alleged connections to the family of a former Member of Legislative Council (MLC), Mohd Hussain. This stern action from DC Vaishya, known for his uprightness and no-nonsense approach to official lethargy and corruption, has sent a strong message across the administrative ranks.
The suspension order, No: DCJ (Adm)58 of 2025, dated May 28, 2025, was issued after it was found that remarks had been inserted into a finalized acquittance roll, intended for the disbursement of payment, without following due procedure, without proper authority, and crucially, without any directions being issued in the matter by the DC’s office. The order explicitly states that these unauthorized insertions “completely changed the essence and outcome of the said acquittance roll,” reflecting an “unprofessional and callous attitude towards the legitimate and lawful duties assigned to a government official, which is of serious nature and unbecoming of a government employee.”
Sources indicate that this case is potentially the tip of a much larger iceberg involving systematic manipulation of land records. Patwari Fateh Ali, in particular, is alleged to have long acted as a key operative for Ex-MLC Mohd Hussain, orchestrating land conversions to benefit the politician’s family. Specific instances of alleged blatant misuse of power have surfaced: in Khasra Number 526 of Bain Bajalta, which exclusively comprises state land, Patwari Fateh Ali allegedly fraudulently reported plots measuring 6 Kanals 13 Marlas (on February 13, 2025) and 4 Kanals 7 Marlas (on May 15, 2025) as private property. These plots are reportedly under the possession of Mohd Gulzar, son of Ex-MLC Mohd Hussain, representing a clear instance of attempting to convert state land for private benefit. Alarmingly, it is also alleged that back in 2008, revenue officials had issued a ‘Fard’ (revenue extract) for 11 Kanals of state land within the same Khasra number in favour of the MLC’s family, suggesting a long-standing pattern of alleged corruption.
Another glaring manipulation involves a land transaction originally concerning Ratan Lal Mansa Ram, who further sold it to Zaffar Din, pertaining to Khasra Number 289 in Bain Bajalta. This transaction was suspiciously linked to Khasra Number 526, where Patwari Fateh Ali allegedly “airlifted” the plot by approximately 500 meters on record. This manoeuvre was apparently aimed at showing state land as private, despite Zaffar Din having already sold the Khasra No. 289 plot to Madhu Jain, Manik Jain, and Narinder Kumar on March 11, 2008, for ?12.70 Lakh. The plot in question had reportedly been under the possession of Manzoor Hussain for years but was falsely shown in revenue reports as belonging to Zaffar Din as part of the land sold from Khasra No. 289. These alleged manipulations are believed to be part of a broader land-grabbing operation, facilitated by compromised revenue officials who purportedly received hefty bribes.
Pending a thorough investigation into their conduct, both suspended officials, Abhay Manhas and Fateh Ali, have been attached to the office of the Additional District Development Commissioner, Jammu. DC Sachin Kumar Vaishya has appointed Rakesh Kumar (IAS), Additional District Magistrate, Jammu, as the Inquiry Officer. He has been tasked with conducting a detailed factual inquiry into the matter and submitting a report, along with clear-cut recommendations for further proceedings, within seven days.
The case has drawn significant public attention, with growing demands for a deeper, more comprehensive probe to unravel the full extent of the alleged network of corruption possibly centered around the Ex-MLC’s family. Political voices have also echoed these concerns, with MLA Jammu East, Yudhvir Sethi, having previously raised the issue of alleged land mafias on the floor of the J&K Assembly. The brazen misuse of land records and public property, allegedly facilitated by officials entrusted to safeguard state assets, has triggered widespread outrage. As more facts are expected to emerge from the inquiry, there is a strong call from civil society, political circles, and legal experts for the Jammu & Kashmir Government to consider constituting a high-level commission to investigate this entire scam. The suspension of Patwari Fateh Ali and Girdawar Abhay Manhas by DC Sachin Kumar Vaishya is seen as a critical first step, but the larger question remains whether the system possesses the will to dismantle the deep-rooted nexus of land mafias and alleged political patronage that may have enabled such corruption to persist for years.