A day after Srinagar-based Greater Kashmir (GK) reported that the former president of High Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Quyoom had grabbed land “on gunpoint”, the Srinagar advocate has served a notice to Greater Kashmir.
Mian Quyoom in a legal Notice addressed to the GK editors has said that the newspaper in its “fake” report has tried to “tarnish” his public image.
In a copy of the notice accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the senior advoate has said, “In your newspaper dated 25.08.2022, you have published a banner news item under the caption “Advocate Mian Qayoom, grabbed 159 Kanals of temple land at gunpoint through fraudulent means; police sources.”
While elaborating further, you have also stated that “police sources have hinted that incriminating documents seized also include those about more than 159 Kanals of temples allegedly grabbed through coercive and fraudulent means gunpoint by Mian Qayoom, the notice read.
In his notice Mian Quyoom said, The aforesaid news published by you in your newspaper, is totally false, untrue and baseless and is clearly aimed at to tarnish my image in the public. Proprietary demands that before publishing the news, you should have, at least, verified the facts from me but unfortunately you did not do so and straightway published the news, which has harmed my reputation irreparably.
However, to put the records straight, I, want to inform you thatI have neither grabbed any temple land at gunpoint nor am I in possession of 159 Kanals of temples land anywhere. It is true that there are 159 Kanals of land at Barzulla belonging to Mandar Ragunath, which is in possession of about 130 tenants from times immemorial but, I, along with my brothers and sister are only in possession of 6 Kanals and 10 Marlas of land which we have inherited from our father, read the notice.
Before my father, my grandfather was in possession of the aforesaid 6 Kanals and 10 Marlas of land. These 6 Kanals and 10 Marlas of land stand mutated in my name and in the name of my brothers and sister in 2010 and each one of us has got 1 Kanal and 12 Marlas of the said land. In the revenue records the land is recorded in our name as “Protected Tenants” and this position continues for the last two hundred years. Some time back, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Srinagar, in terms of order dated 16.10.2019, while setting aside the mutation of ownership of the said land attested in favour of one Vijay Sharma and his brother, who are residents of Jammu, as its owners, also ordered the eviction of all the 130 tenants from the said land, the notice addresed to Greater Kashmir read.
The said order dated 16.10.2019 has not only been challenged by Vijay Sharma and his brother before the Hon’ble High Court but by us and other tenants as well and the Hon’ble Court in our case, has been pleased to direct the respondents not to cause any interference in our possession. All the writ petitions are still pending in the Hon’ble High Court and the final verdict of the Court is awaited. A copy of the order dated 28.07.2021, which order has also been served on SSP, Srinagar on 14.08.2021 against proper receipt, is annexed herewith, he said.
“I, therefore, request you to kindly publish this clarification/rebuttal of your news item published in Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, in its issue dated 25.08.2022, failing which, I shall have no option but to bring the matter to the notice of the Hon’ble High Court, where this is pending adjudication and seek appropriate orders in this behalf,” Mian Quyoom said in his notice served to Greater Kashmir.