ED Unmasks ₹20 Crore Custodian Land Scam: Summons Issued, Mastermind Patwari to Face Grilling as Digital Evidence Mounts

Enforcement Directorate’s Sweeping Raids Uncover Fraudulent Transfer of 502.5 Kanals of PoK Evacuee Land in Jammu, Udhampur; Revenue Officials, Land Grabbers Under Intense Scrutiny

1. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jammu Sub-Zonal Office, has unearthed a massive ₹20 crore custodian land scam, involving the fraudulent grabbing of approximately 502.5 Kanals of PoK evacuee land across Jammu and Udhampur, by a nexus of revenue officials, middlemen, and private land grabbers.
2. Following extensive raids on August 22, 2025, the ED has issued summons to all implicated individuals, including property dealers and revenue officials; a Patwari, believed to be the mastermind behind the scheme, has been specifically summoned for rigorous questioning on August 27, 2025.
3. Investigators possess incriminating documents, digital evidence, and key revenue records, exposing a sophisticated modus operandi of forged back-dated mutations, fake Power of Attorneys, and sale deeds used to illegally acquire and sell public land between 2022 and 2025, with proceeds of crime routed through multiple bank accounts.

Jammu, August 25, 2025: In a significant breakthrough against the deep-rooted corruption and entrenched land mafia networks, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jammu Sub-Zonal Office, has unmasked a colossal ₹20 crore custodian land scam following extensive search operations conducted on August 22, 2025. These raids, carried out at multiple locations across Jammu and Udhampur under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, have exposed a well-oiled ecosystem of corruption involving government revenue officials, middlemen, and powerful land grabbers in the fraudulent acquisition and sale of approximately 502.5 Kanals of prime custodian land belonging to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) evacuees.

The ED initiated its probe on the basis of multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), J&K Police, which had earlier identified a major land scam where custodian land in Asarwan, Mishriwala, and Bhalwal areas of Jammu district was usurped through alleged connivance. The ED investigation has now revealed a sophisticated criminal nexus that systematically manipulated land records and forged legal documents to illegally occupy and sell valuable government land, estimated to be worth approximately ₹20 crore.

According to ED sources, the accused orchestrated the scam by fabricating back-dated mutation records, forging Power of Attorneys, creating fake sale deeds, and inserting false entries into official revenue records. This criminal enterprise was active between 2022 and 2025, during which illegally acquired land was subsequently sold using these forged documents. The proceeds from these sales, identified as ‘Proceeds of Crime’, were then routed through several bank accounts linked to the accused individuals and purportedly used for personal enrichment.

Following the extensive search operations on August 22, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents relating to assets, crucial revenue records, and vital digital evidence, the ED has wasted no time in escalating its investigation. Summons have been issued to all implicated individuals, including property dealers and the revenue officials against whom the raids were conducted. Sources indicate that a Patwari, widely believed to be the mastermind behind this elaborate scam and who has a history of complaints lodged against him with the ACB and other revenue offices, has been specifically summoned for rigorous questioning on August 27, 2025. ED officials are reportedly adopting a very strict approach in this matter and possess strong digital and documentary evidence, which they believe will fully expose the involvement of all parties.

The ED’s robust investigative methods and unwavering commitment to financial transparency have once again been demonstrated, sending a clear message that such exploitation of public resources for personal gain will not be tolerated. Officials have described the operation as a major step towards dismantling a criminal nexus that had deeply infiltrated the system. While the raids have concluded for now, sources indicate that the ED is prepared to conduct further searches at other locations targeting more prominent land grabbers and revenue officials whose involvement comes to light. The agency has assured that further investigation is ongoing and that every individual involved, regardless of their position or influence, will be brought to justice, with a press conference expected soon to reveal comprehensive details of the scam to the public.