The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir has registered two separate cases against officials and private individuals for alleged corruption and illegal activities, according to official statements.
In the first case, FIR No. 06/2024 was registered under sections of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code against officers and officials of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), as well as Hilal Ahmed Rather, son of a former Finance Minister of J&K. The case pertains to the alleged illegal construction of an IT Park in favor of Rather.
The ACB’s verification revealed that backdated permission was granted for the construction of the IT Park for Rather by the JDA, with conditions that the building would be used only for IT purposes. However, after obtaining the necessary NOCs, Rather allegedly constructed an additional fifth floor and a porch, violating the sanctioned plan and setback rules. The probe found that the then officers and officials of the JDA’s Enforcement wing, the Chief Town Planner, and the Vice Chairman remained silent spectators and failed to perform their duties, enabling Rather to carry out the illegal construction, causing a wrongful loss to the government exchequer. In another case, the ACB registered a case against the then Deputy Director of Horticulture (Planning & Marketing) Department, Kashmir, Mohammad Sultan Teli, the then Area Marketing Officer, Sopore, Mohd Ashraf Damnoo, and 48 other illegal beneficiaries for the alleged fraudulent allotment of shop sites at the Fruit and Vegetable Mandi in Nowpora, Sopore.
According to the ACB, the allotment of shops was conducted in violation of the notified terms and conditions, and the officers and officials involved hatched a conspiracy to allot shops to their relatives and preferred beneficiaries, depriving deserving applicants. The probe also revealed that the department failed to recover the full premium amount from the allottees, resulting in a loss of over Rs. 1.21 crore to the state exchequer as of June 30, 2021. The ACB has initiated investigations in both cases, and searches have been conducted at the residences of the accused public servants, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents. These actions by the ACB underscore the government’s commitment to combating corruption and ensuring transparency in the functioning of public authorities and their officials.
