DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 16: A junior patwari posted at the Naib Tehsildar Office (NTO) branch here has allegedly tampered with the land and personal records of the officials of the revenue department.

The fraud came to limelight when an inquiry was conducted on the complaints of a number of land owners of mauza Soori Lond by assistant district officer (revenue) Maher Aziz Soomra.

According to details collected by this scribe, patwari Masoom Hasan was posted at the NTO branch as a naib qanoongo by the district officer (revenue). He was at number 266 in the seniority list of patwaris comprising 267 names.

He was also given the charge of naib tehsildar besides the charge of naib qanoongo of saddar tehsil because the post of naib tehsildar had been lying vacant since long.

Patwari Masoom got promotion for himself and his colleagues at number 237, 248 and 258 in the seniority list of patwaris by sending a summary to DO (revenue) Abdul Hameed Durrani. He promoted himself as acting naib tehsildar.

He allegedly tampered with the land record of mauza Soori Lond and included fake names in the record to get millions of rupees given to the families as compensation who were displaced by the construction of Kacchi canal.

It is learnt that Masoom did not give copies of promotion letters to the inquiry officer. However, the copies were obtained from the district accounts office.

It may be remembered that the record of the land which was tampered with belonged to Tumandar Lond tribe. The chief of Lond tribe, who first extended support to the British was Fazal Ali Khan Lond.

He had joined Lieutenant Edward's camp in 1845 with 200 horsemen and helped the British during the siege of Multan. In reward, the Lond sardar was given a vast tract of land 17 squares (morabba) of which was situated at mauza Soori Lond (the mauza was named after one of the Lond elders).

When contacted, ADO Soomra said the inquiry was still going on and responsibility would be fixed after its completion. Interestingly, patwari Masoom went on long leave when the inquiry started.