Srinagar, Mar 21: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against the former Chief Executive Officer, former Executive Engineer, and former Assistant Executive Engineer/Executive Engineer, as well as beneficiary contractors and others for abuse of official position and misappropriation of government funds.
The ACB in a statement issued here said it registered a case FIR No. 03/2024 under Section 5(1) (d) read with Section 5(2) J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006 & Section 120-B RPC at PS ACB Baramulla against Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan, the then Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ahmad Baba, the then Executive Engineer, and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, the then Assistant Executive Engineer/Executive Engineer, as well as beneficiary contractors namely Ghulam Nabi Mir S/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din R/o Treesa and Ghulam Nabi Bhat S/o Mohammad Maqbool Bhat R/o Safapora, and others for abuse of official position and misappropriation of government funds.
The verification conducted into the matter revealed that the Wullar Manasbal Development Authority executed about 23 civil works during the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Out of these, 18 works were tendered, and in 15 works, significant illegal and fraudulent extensions were granted ranging from 44% to 218% by the then Chief Executive Officer Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan in brazen violation of laid-down norms through gross abuse of official position and authority, which was beyond the competence of the officer, the probe agency said.
The verification revealed that five works were illegally and fraudulently executed on an approval basis, even without inviting tenders, by Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan, Bashir Ahmad Baba, and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh during the period 2016-2019.
“The accused not only granted illegal and fraudulent extensions in these works but also raised and provided exorbitant rates to contractors on various items utilized in these works during execution, which was also in grave violation of laid-down norms,” the ACB said.
During the preliminary probe, experts from the Engineering wing of ACB Kashmir conducted spot inspections of the works executed by the accused public servants and scrutinized the records. The acts of omission and commission on the part of the accused public servants, in connivance and conspiracy with private beneficiaries (contractors), led to a significant loss to the state exchequer and undue pecuniary benefits to the contractors.
Following the registration of FIR, house search warrants in respect of accused public servants were issued by the court of Special Judge Anti Corruption Baramulla. “In pursuance of these warrants, the ACB conducted searches in multiple locations simultaneously, belonging to the accused persons. The searches were conducted meticulously, in accordance with legal procedures, to gather evidence linked with the investigation of the case. Various incriminating documents have been recovered during the course of the searches,” the ACB said, adding that further investigations into the case are ongoing.
