Fraud case against 19 land record officials.

LODHRAN -- The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered a case of alleged embezzlement of land record funds involving 19 officials of the Computerized Land Record Centre here in Lodhran.

The ACE registered a first information report against 19 officials of the centre for embezzlement in funds collected through fake bank chalans in Lodhran. Instead of depositing the fee to the district council's bank account, they would distribute the money among themselves. On applications by several citizens, the ACE probed into the matter.

ACE source told Dawn the suspect were involved in embezzlement of millions for years with the help of private agents. According to the source, suspects at the time of land transfer made the fee chalan of land transfer and would embezzle one per cent fee of the district council using fake stamps of the Bank of Punjab, Lodhran branch.

They collected fees from landowners. As per the directions of ACE Assistant Director Mahar Zafer Abbas, an FIR has been launched...