The Jagirs Of Naeem Akhtar

Earlier this year, the LG Administration directed the district magistrates of Jammu and Kashmir to identify and collect all revenue records of the properties belonging to Kashmiri Pandits. The order was issued by the LG in order to retrieve the land and other properties which had been occupied illegally after the exile of Kashmiri pandits. The government also directed the District Magistrates to cross-check the revenue records of the land belonging to Kashmiri Pandits which had been fraudulently sold or had been subjected to distress sale after they left the Valley.

Meanwhile, Kashmiri Pandits have also been directed to provide the revenue records or other valid documents pertaining to their properties which they owned before their exile. Till now, the revenue officials have moved at snail’s pace on these directions. Their efforts have been limited to catching the small illegal occupants of land or houses that belonged to Kashmiri Pandits.

In what can be termed as a gross violation of J&K Migrant Immovable Property Act, Nayeem Akhtar, a close aide of late Mufti Mohmmad Syed and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti has occupied around 80 kanals (10 acres) of migrant property in Budgam tehsil. Akhtar has held important portfolios during the reign of the PDP government in the erstwhile state.

Akhter’s daughter Shehryar Khanum runs a dairy farm at this expansive plot. According to the revenue records accessed by KASHMIR CENTRAL, Akhtar is in possession of 79 kanals and 8.5 marlas of land at Mamath estate and Surd estate respectively. The kind and nature of land falls under the category of Banjri Kadeem (11 marlas) and Zair Saya (10 marlas) falling under Khasra number 23, Khewat number 5, Khata number 17; 26 kanals and 8 marlas of land under Kita 15, 46 kanals and 13 marlas under Khasra number Kita 32, 3 kanal 4.5 marla under Khasra number 67 (Migrant property) khata number 50 Khewat number 17. This land is registered in the name of Nayeem Akhtar, son of Mohd Syed and also in the name of Asmat Ara, wife of Naeem Akhtar, caste Andrabi, residents of Bandipora vide sale deed number 49. Another 13 marlas, again in the category of migrant property under Khasra number 82 are registered vide section 121 in the name of Aijaz Ahmad etc and Akhtar with equal shares. The acquisition of such huge property while in power tantamounts to misuse and abuse of power, which can be investigated under Prevention of Corruption Act and Disproportionate Assets Case.

At Mamath estate in Budgam tehsil, Akhtar is in possession of 3 kanals and 8 Marals of Maidinie (Plain land) owned by Shri Owtar Krishan etc Bashara one part and Kashinath etc Bashara 3 parts. This land falls under Khasra number 36 Khata number 17 and Khewat number 5 in total. Akhtar occupies 79 kanals and 6 marlas of state, community and migrant land in Budgam tehsil.

The story gets more interesting. In October 2017, the Revenue Department issued orders for the transfer of 20 Tehsildars in one go. All but one Tehsildar joined their new place of posting after being relieved from the earlier place of work. The only Tehsildar who was not relieved was of Budgam Tehsil. This was Wafai, who was transferred to the Revenue Training College as Principal.

Wafai did not join his new place of posting for about two months. The new Tehsildar who was supposed to join at Budgam by relieving Wafai was told to wait for some time. A senior revenue officer privy to the developments told KASHMIR CENTRAL the following:

The file pertaining to the transfer of the title of the land in which Naeem Akhtar was interested was pending with Wafai, who was Tehsildar Budgam. While the file was pending, Wafai was transferred out. Akhtar was then a minister in the Mehbooba-led coalition government. He directed Wafai to stay back and dispose of the file. The revenue officer revealed that Wafai had just a few months left for his retirement. He was reluctant in illegally transferring the title of the land to Naeem Akhtar and his family. By the time Akhter could use his official position to force the new Tehsildar for the disposal of the file, BJP withdrew the support to Mehbooba. Her government was toppled.

This is the reason why Akhtar could not get the title of the land changed. Presently Akhter’s daughter Shehryar Khanum runs a dairy farm at the site. A concrete and well-provided dairy farm has been constructed at the site. Shehryar has a bottling plant at Ompora Budgam, where the premium milk is packed and processed for retail sale. The milk is transported by the dairy farm employees to various locations including the high profile Friends’ Enclave adjoining Srinagar International Airport.

The details of immovable property as declared to the Election Commission of India by the darling bureaucrat of Mufti Syeed-turned-never-popularly-elected-minister are abysmally inadequate. The details can be accessed online through National Election Watch. There is no mention in the affidavit regarding the dairy farm or its property value. The value of the agricultural land in the name of Nayeem Akhtar and his spouse is mentioned as Rs 1 crore.

In reality, the dairy farm itself was worth more than Rs 15 crores at rates prevalent at that time in Budgam, the suburbs of Srinagar. The value of commercial buildings shown is nil. This is an utter lie as there are commercial structures in the dairy farm itself. The story doesn’t end here. The value of non-agricultural land is declared as nil. It is shocking and absurd that the person who used to wear the image of Mr Clean of the Mufti Cabinet has lied to even the Election Commission of India.

On August 14, 2021, the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the development of an online portal for disposal of complaints pertaining to removal of encroachment, trespassing and land occupation through fraudulent means. The Department of Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation and Reconstruction shall develop an online portal for quick redressal of such grievances. It remains to be seen whether action is taken against the big sharks, and the axe falls on the influential encroachers and high-profile land grabbers.