The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered an FIR against several former municipal and planning officials and two beneficiaries over alleged unauthorised construction and encroachment in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar. The case has been lodged as Case No. 10/2026, the bureau said, following a joint surprise check and subsequent verification into complaints about a multi-storey building in the flood basin and river-fringe of the Jhelum.
Allegations and legal provisions cited
According to the ACB, the verification found irregularities in the grant and later modification of building permissions. The bureau said the plinth area and the height of the structure were increased substantially and that mandatory no-objection certificates (NOCs) from concerned departments were not obtained. The probe also allegedly established construction over drainage infrastructure and encroachment of roughly 2.9 kanals of State/Kahcharai land within the prohibited river-fringe area.
The FIR names the then Senior Town Planner of the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), Muneer Ahmad Khan; then Joint Commissioner (Planning) of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), R K Tutoo; then In-charge Assistant Town Planner, SMC, Ulfat Jan; other concerned officials; and beneficiaries Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh and Parveena Akhter.
| Person | Alleged Role |
|---|---|
| Muneer Ahmad Khan | Then Senior Town Planner, SDA |
| R K Tutoo | Then Joint Commissioner (Planning), SMC |
| Ulfat Jan | Then In-charge Assistant Town Planner, SMC |
| Gulzar Ahmad Sheikh | Beneficiary |
| Parveena Akhter | Beneficiary |
Charges and investigation
The accused have been booked under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt-2006 — specifically Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) — and under Sections 447-A, 468 and 120 of the Ranbir Penal Code, along with other applicable legal provisions, the ACB statement said. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
"The verification revealed alleged encroachment of around 2.9 kanals of State/Kahcharai land, besides construction over drainage infrastructure and within the prohibited river-fringe area," the ACB said.
Local implications
Rajbagh is a central neighbourhood in Srinagar and lies close to the Jhelum's floodplain. Encroachment and construction in river fringe areas are sensitive for two reasons: they can damage drainage networks and increase flood risk for surrounding localities, and they raise governance questions about land records, permissions and inter-departmental clearances in an urban context where public safety and heritage coexist.
- The FIR alleges alterations to building permissions without required NOCs.
- About 2.9 kanals of State/Kahcharai land are claimed to have been encroached.
- Case No. 10/2026 has been registered and is under investigation by the ACB.
The registration of the FIR follows a joint surprise check and subsequent verification, the ACB said. While the bureau has identified specific officials and beneficiaries in the FIR, details on whether any arrests or attach orders have been issued were not supplied in the bureau's initial release.
Local residents and civic groups have frequently raised concerns about unauthorised construction and pressure on natural drainage channels in Srinagar, particularly after severe floods in past years. The ACB action is likely to prompt scrutiny of municipal and planning processes in the city and could lead to internal administrative reviews by the Srinagar Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The ACB said further inquiries are continuing. Any formal actions, including court filings or departmental penalties, will depend on the results of the ongoing probe and subsequent legal proceedings.
