Srinagar, Jul 6 (IANS): The J&K Police's Crime Branch on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against six persons for selling 6.6 kanals of Waqf land at Rangpora Zakoora in Srinagar district in 2003 on forged signatures of then Vice Chairman of the Muslim Auqaf Trust.

A Crime Branch Kashmir spokesperson said the charge sheet was filed against six accused before the court of Additional District and Session Judge, Anti-Corruption, Srinagar.

The accused include Abdul Rashid, Controller Revenue Estates/Assistant Secretary, Muslim Auqaf Trust, Mohammad Farooq Hakak, Ghulam Qadir Mir, and Mohammad Lateef besides two other persons who have since passed away.

In the complaint, the then Secretary Waqf Board had alleged that the land, measuring 6.6 kanals, at Rangpora Zakoora of the Waqf Board, was shown alienated in favour of Ishtaq Ahmad Ashai by way of fabricating an order.

"The order was shown issued under the forged signatures of then Vice Chairman, Muslim Auqaf Trust.

"Accordingly after conducting a preliminary verification, case FIR No. 22/2012 was registered," the spokesman said, adding that the investigation established the offences against the six accused who "hatched criminal conspiracy with one another and thereby have been able to grab the land situated at Rangpora Zakoora".

"The land was found transferred through a fake NOC issued by the accused person," the spokesperson added.

The investigation further revealed that the land was actually to be leased out, but instead, certain officials of Waqf Board, in connivance with the accused land brokers, issued the forged order and fake NOC regarding the alienation of land and thus, managed to get the land sold illegally to the person who happened to be a Waqf Board employee.