JAMMU: The Crime Branch Jammu has arrested a retrospectively superannuated officer of Special Secretary rank, who had forged his own date of birth. The accused, namely Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Ganai, resident of Hanjura, Tehsil Chadoora, District-Budgam, was Special Secretary (Legal) Home Department and had been superannuated by the Government on March 3, 2021 with retrospective effect from March 31, 2019.
It has prima facie been established that Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Ganai forged and manipulated his own date of birth in his service/official records in connivance with others in order to take illegal monetary gains for himself and enjoy powers as Senior Legal Officer of the Union Territory. As per his actual DoB, he was supposed to have retired two years back in March, 2019. By forgery and manipulations, the accused added four more years to his due Government service, at senior rank by taking undue advantage of his official position. With access to corridors of power of the time, the accused arose from a daily wager in the office of Executive Engineer, Electric Division, Budgam to Special Secretary (Legal) to Government of Jammu & Kashmir by managing out of turn promotions which prima facie appear to be in violation of rules and regulations and would be probed.
He had also unsuccessfully pursued his case for induction into KAS in technical quota. The accused had passed equivalent of matriculation examination in 1980 as private candidate and joined as daily wager in the office of Executive Engineer Electric Division Budgam. In 1985 he was regularized as Field Executive (Class-IV Employee). In 1989, the accused was appointed as Public Law Officer, in the same office and climbing the ladder reached to the rank of Special Secretary (Legal) in J&K Govt. Interestingly the officer got all education equivalent of Higher Secondary and Graduation without attending any regular Schools and Colleges. The accused has been produced before the Court of law and his Police remand has been granted for investigation of the case. The case was initiated after a written communication was made with Crime Branch Jammu by the J&K Government along with allied documents including a written complaint lodged by Ghulam Mohd Bhat of Hanjura Chadoora, alleging that Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Ganai who was till 05.03.2021 posted as Special Secretary (Legal) to Home Department J&K Govt, had used his official position to grab money and enjoy power as a Senior Legal Officer.
It was also alleged that the accused had forged and manipulated his own Date of Birth in official records. On the basis of an enquiry, conducted by the Govt, the allegations of forgery and misuse of official position have been found to be prima-facie substantiated against the accused and accordingly a formal criminal case was registered for further investigation. Besides, the accused has been retrospectively superannuated from service on 05.03.2021 by the Govt with effect from the date on which he should have retired, March 2019.
After the arrest of the said accused, unverified complaints have started pouring in Crime Branch Jammu regarding more such cases of violation of rules, which will also be verified, said a spokesperson of the Crime Branch.
