The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday conducted simultaneous search operations in Srinagar, Jammu and Patna as part of its probe into a Rs.1,500-crore defence land scandal in Jammu and Kashmir.
CBI spokesperson Dharini Mishra said the raids were conducted to “collect evidences” after the agency registered a new case recently related to the defence land in Srinagar that was given “irregularly to private persons.”
Mishra said the searches were conducted at the homes of a defence estate officer who is accused of having given no-objection certificates for transfer of the land. She, however, did not identify the accused officer. Sources in Srinagar said the official under the scanner is a 1997 batch defence estates officer (DEO) who had allowed some private influential people to buy and build on the sprawling 200 acres near the high-security Indian Air Force station and 15 Corps headquarters of the Indian Army in Srinagar.
