JAMMU: In a well organised manner, the land grabbers has cutdown hundreds of matured trees to encroach upon 3 Kanals of graveyard land worth crores at Rehari in old Jammu city leading to strong resentment from the muslim community as well as responsible civil society members.
Giving details, a resident of Rehari colony in whose vicinity the land grabbers trespassed the graveyard maintained by the Auqaf Islamia, Jammu said “For the last few days, the land grabbers along with manpower were involved in cutting of trees in broad day light with impunity inside the graveyard”.
Terming the situation as deplorable, renowned social and RTI activist, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmad said “This is a clear attempt to vitiate peaceful atmosphere in old Jammu city where people of different communities are living together peacefully.”
Meanwhile, the residents of Ustad Mohalla, Sarwal, Rehari and adjoining areas who used to buried their love ones after performing last rites in this graveyard avers “Its astonished to see that land grabbers for the past few days are continuously cutting down hundreds of trees inside the kabristan at Rehari but the administration, police and more significantly the custodian of this property -Department of Auqaf Islamia are “unaware” of it”
The JK Global News team visited the site of graveyard in question which is located opposite famous Punjabi Brothers Restaurant in Rehari and found that nearly 600 to 700 were razed by the land grabbers apparently to encroached upon graveyard land.
It’s pertinent to mentioned here that decades ago due to lackadaisical approach of the then Administrator of Auqaf Islamia, Jammu, the land grabbers had encroached upon a vast portion of this graveyard measuring approximately 10 Kanals worth crores and construct commercial establishments over.
While a major portion adjacent to the entrance of graveyard was encroached upon from several sides by some mischievous elements.
The locals of the area while interacting with JKGN said that a group of land grabbers are cutting down trees for the last three days in broad day light. When asked who are these land grabbers, a person wishing anonymity said “Every thing is recorded in cctv camera installed at office of Truly Times Newspaper which is located just opposite to encroached portion of graveyard.
One resident of locality on condition of anonymity said that land grabbers apart from encroaching upon the graveyard land also accused of destroying green trees which is a unlawful activities. They demanded stern action against the land grabbers for wilfully disturbing communal peace in the city.
Talking to JKGN, Mudassir Iqbal, Administrator Auqaf Islamia, Jammu said “The matter of encroachment of graveyard land was brought into his notice only today and we have taken up the matter with higherups in police for initiating legal action against the encroachers”.