Srinagar- The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) in Jammu and Kashmir has booked a government employee for amassing wealth beyond the sources of his known income, officials said on Monday.
The bureau has also lodged an FIR against an executive engineer, Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, for misappropriation of funds by allotting work to an unqualified contractor and later inflating the cost of work.
“The ACB has registered an FIR against Mohammad Shafi Rather alias Kanda, a class IV employee in food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department for possession of disproportionate assets,” a senior official of the bureau said.
According to the official, it was found during verification that by indulging in corrupt practices, Rather had amassed assets worth crores of rupees in land and houses at various places in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The verification also revealed that the expenditure incurred, and the value of assets acquired by the suspect have been found to be excessively disproportionate to the income earned by him from all known sources during the service period for which the suspect could not satisfactorily account for,” he said.
In a separate case, an executive engineer, Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat, has been booked by the ACB for misappropriation of funds by allotting work to an unqualified contractor and later inflating the cost of work by 172 per cent, the official said.
The probe revealed that the beneficiary Class ‘B’ Contractor was eligible for allotment of contract up to only Rs 50 lakh, he said.
“The project manager (executive engineer) not only facilitated illegal allotment of work in favour of M/S Ubaid Rashid Wani but also gave huge extensions in his favour amounting to Rs 2,69,57,658, beyond the allotment cost of Rs 1.07 crore,” he added.
The official said searches were conducted simultaneously at multiple locations, including houses of Bhat at Charsoo Awantipora and Mominabad Batamaloo, and the house of the accused beneficiary proprietor Ubaid Rashid Wani in Srinagar.
During the house searches, some incriminating documents related to the case were found and seized on spot, he said.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Abdul Waheed Shah, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) ACB Headquarters J&K, said that after receiving a complaint, the ACB teams were constituted and investigations were rolled on.
“A complaint was received against one Muhammad Shafi Rather of Wanigam, Baramulla that he was possessing assets that didn’t match with his income as he was a class 4th employee in (CA&PD) department also known as food department,” Shah said.
He said that the properties possessed by Shah include double Storey Residential House (under construction) at Wanigam Bala, Pattan worth Rs. 40.34 lacs, Construction of Double Stories House at Wanigam Bala worth Rs. 32.92 lacs, Single Storey Concrete House along with 05 Marlas of land at Bathindi Jammu amounting to Rs. 32 lacs.
“Investments of Rs 1.50 Crore in joint purchase of a huge chunk of land measuring 107 Kanals at Mouza Nehalpora Poshwani, Tehsil Pattan, total value Rs. 7.30 Crore in 2018. Investments of Rs 64.01 lacs in joint purchase of a huge chunk of land measuring 30 Kanals at Bhat Colony Hartrath Singhpora, District Baramulla total value Rs. 7.50 Crore in the year 2019. Land measuring 04 Kanals 05 Maralas situated on Wanigam-Tilgam road at Behrampora Kongamdara Pattan purchased for an amount of Rs. 13.81 lacs year 2011,” the officer said. He said that Rather also possessed land measuring 20 Marlas at Bandibala Tehsil Kreeri purchased against an amount of Rs. 08 lacs jointly in 2015. “ Land measuring 30 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchased jointly for an amount of Rs. 40.65 lacs in 2016. (i) Land measuring 17 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchased for an amount of Rs. 25.37 lacs year 2017. (j) Land measuring 33 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchased for an amount of Rs. 49.25 lacs in the year 2017. (k) Expenditures of Rs 111.46 lac include payments of Rs 44.25 & 10 lac to two different persons.
(l) Purchase of gold ornaments of Rs 24.10 lacs from Kadla Jewelers Srinagar jointly with others. The probe conducted further reveal that in addition to above the suspect has following immovable /movable properties/investments to have been acquired & possessed by the suspect which surfaced during the probe & are subject matter of further investigations; – (a) House at Umerabad Srinagar (b) Land measuring 13 marlas at Drang Tangmarg Baramulla (c) Land measuring 1 kanal & 2 marlas at shikargah (d) Land measuring 4 kanals at Wannigam bala Pattan Baramulla (e) Land measuring 12 marlas at HMT Srinagar (f) Life insurance policy 1.18 lacs (g) PPF 5.50 lacs (h) Two-wheeler scooty (i) Furniture items, carpet, fridge, washing machine, samsung phone ,AC & other articles 5.
He said that the probe conducted further revealed that the suspect has accumulated huge assets without seeking proper permission from prescribed competent authority as mandated under law by indulging in corrupt practices accordingly provisions of section 12/14 of J&K Public Men and Public Servants (Declaration of Assets & other Provisions) Act 1983 have been invoked against accused.
Case Filed Against Ex-SICOP Manager
Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau has filed a case against a former project manager of SICOP Kashmir and others over illegal allotment of government work.
In a statement, a spokesperson said that a joint surprise check was conducted by the ACB over allegations that work for construction of a drain at industrial estate Khrew was illegally allotted by the estates manager, SICOP to M/S Ubaid Rashid Wani at cost of Rs 108 lakh and further extended by adding huge quantum of work amounting Rs 263 lakh in violation to the laid down procedure.
The statement reads that the probe revealed that project manager SICOP, Kashmir issued an off-line NIT, inviting bids from contractors for execution of work related to construction of the drain for an advertised cost of Rs 99 lakh in violation of rules. “The work was allotted in favour of M/S Ubaid Rashid Wani for an amount of Rs 107 lakh despite him being not eligible.
It was also found that the beneficiary contractor was eligible for allotment of contract amounting upto Rs 50 lakh only, the tone and tenor of the rules makes it clear that only class A contractor was eligible and entitled for allotment of the work. The project manager not only facilitated illegal allotment of work but also gave huge extensions in his favour amounting Rs 2,69,57,658 beyond the allotment cost of ₹107 lakh,” it reads. It added that the project manager SICOP Kashmir under well-knit conspiracy with proprietors of M/S Ubaid Rashid Wani, in lieu of pecuniary benefits, dishonestly and fraudulently by abuse of his official position, first invited participation of class B contractors in the NIT in violation to prevailing norms in order to facilitate participation of the beneficiary class B Contractor in the bidding process “He allotted work in his favour despite him being not eligible as per governing provisions and also favoured him with huge extensions beyond scope of allotment, thus conferred undue benefit upon himself and the beneficiary.”
It reads that these omissions and commissions by then project manager namely Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat of Awantipora, beneficiary proprietor of M/S Ubaid Rashid Wani namely Ubaid Rashid Wani of Srinagar and others constitute offences punishable U/S 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and Section 120-B IPC.
The statement reads that accordingly, case FIR NO.05/2024 stands registered at ACB police station Anantnag, and investigation was set into motion. “Immediately after registration of the instant case search warrant was obtained from special judge anti-corruption court Pulwama and searches were conducted simultaneously at multiple locations. During searches, some incriminating documents were found and seized on spot. Further investigation of the case is going on,” it added.
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