Srinagar, Aug. 25 -- These were ordinary families, farmers and property owners, confronting a pattern they described as "sustained denial of justice." Their complaints ranged from blatant encroachments by local mafias to manipulated revenue records, from unilateral changes in settlement operations to unresolved digitisation errors.

At first glance, this might read as another tale of litigation. Look closer, and it tells a far deeper story: landowners who should find recourse at their tehsil office now feel compelled to climb the judicial ladder all the way to the country's highest court.

Under the Jammu & Kashmir Land Revenue Act, Samvat 1996, tehsildars are vested with broad powers. They can summon parties, inspect records, direct dema...