CBI starts probe into Srinagar Cantonment land grab case

The CBI has registered a case of alleged encroachment of defence land worth crores of rupees by hotel owners in the sensitive Badami Bagh cantonment area in Srinagar, officials said on Saturday.

The agency has booked then Chief Executive Officers of the Cantonment Ajay Kumar Choudhary and B K Kaul, Junior Engineer Tariq Ahmad Khanday, Tramboo Joinery Mills owner Muzaffar Rashid Wani, owner of an under construction hotel Tariq Ahmad Wani and owner of Soloman Heights hotel Muneer Ahmad Bakshi, they said.

The agency had registered a preliminary inquiry in the case on November 27, 2018 which revealed that officials of the cantonment board allegedly facilitated the hotel and mill owners in grabbing defence land.

The inquiry established that Hotel Solomon Heights, under-construction hotel of Tariq Ahmad Wani and Tramboo Joinery Mills were standing on defence land, the officials said.

Their lease deed had expired and further lease deed was executed without permission of defence authorities, .