GUJRAT: The Mandi Bahauddin district administration has returned the documents of ownership to at least 101 affectees of a mega scam whose lands` ownership had been fraudulently transferred in the name of a known housing society.

The ownership documents were handed over to the affectees at a ceremony held in Malakwal`s affected village of Rukan on Friday.

Mandi Bahauddin Deputy Commissioner Shahid Marth, District Police Officer Raza Safdar Kazmi and former Assistant Commissioner Shahid Basheer returned the documents to the actual land owners at the ceremony.DC Marth had unearthed the scam in February this year, in which the management of a housing society had deprived the owners of at least 1,013 kanals and 14 marlas of land located in Rukan village of Malakwal tehsil.

The fraud was committed in connivance with some officials of land revenue department, who first transferred the ownership of the land to the front men of the housing society through issuance of Fard Badar (rectification of land record). Later, the land was sold to the housing society through the registration deeds.

The fraud was committed discreetly, without the knowledge of the original owners, who only came to know about it when the housing society attempted to start development work at the site. On knowing about the fraud, local farmers started an agitation against the officials, as well as the housing scheme.

The DC ordered lodging of at least three different cases of fraud against the land revenue department officials and thefront men involved in the scam, with the Anti-Corruption Established (ACE), whereas a departmental inquiry was also launched into the matter.

After completion of the inquiry, the DC ordered cancellation of Fard Badar (rectification of record) that was earlier inserted in the record illegally.

Moreover, the DC had also moved the matter to the civil court for the cancellation of the registration deeds around six months ago. As a result, the housing society management had too express its willingness to cancel the registration deeds.

The local land revenue department, after the civil court verdict in favour of the affected farmers, had formally cancelled the registration deeds and restored the land ownership to the actual owners in the official record.

The affected farmers of Rukan village have commended the efforts of the district administration, as well as the Punjab government, in providing them justice.