Srinagar- A court here on Tuesday held a medical officer from Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) guilty on charges of cheating by personation by filing an application under RTI Act in the name of another person and using the same being a “forged” document to be genuine.
“The prosecution has proved its case beyond any reasonable doubt to the extent that the accused had cheated the officials of department of ISM by pretending to be Muzafar Ahmad Ganaie by filing an RTI application in his name and thereby using a forged document as genuine,” 2nd Additional Munsiff, Ahtzaz Ahmed, said while convicting Dr Zahoor Ahmad Tantray of Kupwara for offences punishable in terms of RPC sections of 419 (cheating by personation) and 471 (using genuine as genuine a forged document).
The court has posted the case on Wednesday for hearing the arguments on the quantum of sentence to be imposed upon the accused.
The case was filed on 30-10-2013 on the basis a communication received from the then Director, Indian Systems of Medicine, stating that the accused, putting up in a rented accommodation in Bemina Srinagar, was transferred from Unani Dispensary Gulab Bagh to Unani Dispensary Khanaid, Udhampur because of his “misconduct”. Also it was reported that the medical officer was harassing the officials of the department by filing the RTI applications using different names so that he could escape from the “departmental enquiry” and could pressurize the officers of the Department.
As per the communication, the department grew suspicious on receipt of chain of RTI applications on “stereotype readymade proforma” filed by impersonating different persons.
The medical officer, as per the communication, had filed one of the applications in the name of Muzaffar Anwar Ganie who happens to be the son of the owner of the house where the doctor was residing.
The department sent a copy of RTI application to Muzaffar Anwar Ganie who on its receipt contacted the department and refused to have sought any such information.
Similarly, the communication said, another RTI application in the name of one Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie was received against the officers who were conducting an inquiry against Dr Zahoor.
The communication alleged that Dr Zahoor actually wanted to escape from the departmental enquiry by harassing and causing distress to the officers and employees of the department.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
