Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Kashmir has arrested two senior officers of the R&B Electric Division and a contractor for corruption while a retired officer and several employees of Sheep Husbandry Department have been booked in a corruption case by the ACB Jammu. “Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, the then Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Gulam Nabi Ganaie, the then Executive Engineer (XEn) and Rafiq Ahmad Lone (contractor) were booked in a case FIR Number 32 of 2010 registered under section 5(2) of J&K P C Act Svt. 2006 r/w sections 5(1)(c), 5(1)(d), 409, 468, 471 and 120-B RPC in police station ACB Kashmir, on the outcome of a verification conducted by ACB South Kashmir,” a spokesman of ACB said. He said these accused public servants have abused their official position in league with the accused contractors by virtue of misappropriation of funds meant for execution of work “Providing and fitting of Street Lights” in Kulgam, town by the officials of R&B Special Sub-Division Kulgam in the year 2004-2005. “During investigation, it was found that for 21 works (both Civil and Electric), accused engineers of Sub-Division Kulgam, abused their official position and hatched a criminal conspiracy with Mashooq Ahmad Khan, Nayees Ahmad Lone, Rafiq Ahmad Lon and Arshid Hussain Deen (the contractors) and in furtherance of criminal conspiracy, executed these works on manipulated allotment orders purportedly issued by the then Executive Engineer (R&B) Electric Division, Kashmir in the year 1999 on highly exorbitant rates,” he added. The spokesman said that the expenditure of Rs 69,60,120 was fraudulently shown against actual expenditure of Rs 50,94,868 incurred and drawn by these accused public servants in league with the contractors and as such caused huge loss to the State Exchequer. He said the investigation of the case is complete and soon charge-sheet will be filed before the competent court. Meanwhile, ACB Rajouri has registered a case FIR Number 03/2020 at police station ACB Rajouri u/s 5(1)(c), 5(1)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 and section 120-B RPC against Naresh Kumar Dutta, the then Incharge Block Veterinary Officer (BVO)/SDO Mendhar (now retired), B C Sharma, then Block Veterinary Officer/SDO Mendhar, Junaid Hussain, Mohd Zabir Hussain, Mansoor Ali Khan, Sajaad Ahmed (employees of Sheep Husbandry Department), Mohd Sadiq and others on corruption charges. “The case was registered on the outcome of verification conducted by ACB into the complaint lodged by Dr K H Shah, Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, I S D Block Dhargaloon (Mendhar) alleging therein the non-establishment of even a single Sheep Unit Under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) Scheme against sanctioned units during the year 2011-2012 etc,” the ACP spokesperson said. He said it surfaced during verification that 46 Sheep Units were sanctioned under TSP scheme by the District Development Commissioner Poonch for the year 2011-12 in Block Mendhar/Dhargaloon and amount so sanctioned for establishing 46 Sheep Units amounting to Rs 479136 vide cheque no 27230700 was kept at the disposal of then I/C Block Veterinary Officer Mendhar by the District sheep Husbandry Officer Poonch vide letter No. DSHOP/TSP/2011-12/2881-82 dated 28-01-2012. “However, none of the sheep units under TSP Scheme out of 46 sanctioned units for the year 2011-12 was established in Block Dhargloon/Mendhar but instead, the then I/C Block Veterinary Officer/SDO Mendhar namely Naresh Kumar Dutta, by abuse of his official position and in a well knit conspiracy with Junaid Hussain, Mohd Zabir Hussain, Mansoor Ali Khan and Sajaad Ahmed (all employees of Sheep Husbandry Department) and Mohd Sadiq misappropriated/embezzled the subsidy component to the tune of Rs 2,50,000 for establishing 26 numbers of sheep units by manipulating the record, contrary to the conditions of District Sheep Husbandry Officer Poonch by showing them as seller in the year 2012-2013,” he added. Similarly, the spokesman said, the remaining amount of Rs 2,19,136 as subsidy component including insurance part for establishing 20 numbers of sheep units was misappropriated/embezzled by B C Sharma, then Block Veterinary Officer/SDO Mendhar, by abusing his official position and in connivance with Mafooz Ahmed, Liaqat Hayat, Mohd Saleem and Mohd Bashir (driver) in the year 2013-14. “As such, total amount of Rs 4,69,136 was misappropriated by these public servants and others for the year 2012-13 and 2013-14 which ultimately resulted into loss to the state exchequer,” he said, adding, further investigation of the case is going on.
