Srinagar, June 28 -- The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has upheld the legal powers of Deputy Commissioners under the J&K Land Revenue Act, confirming they can both transfer and decide cases related to land matters.

Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi delivered the ruling while dismissing a petition filed by Bhagu Ram and others. The petitioners had claimed that the Deputy Commissioner of Udhampur went beyond his role by not just transferring a case, but also passing final orders, including deletion of revenue records and starting partition proceedings.

However, the Court clarified that Section 10 of the Land Revenue Act clearly allows revenue officers such as the Financial Commissioner, Divisional Commissioner, and Collector to withdr...