The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against several officials of the Municipal Committee (MC) in Thanamandi, Rajouri, and a supplier firm for alleged misappropriation of funds.
The case, FIR no. 01/2024, has been registered under Sections 5(1)(c), 5(1)(d), read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006, and Section 120-B of the RPC. The accused individuals include Shakeel Ahmed Mir, the then President of the Municipal Committee Thanamandi, Mushtaq Ahmed, the then Executive Officer, Riyaz Ahmed, the then Storekeeper, and other officers/officials of the Municipal Committee Thanamandi, as well as the Proprietor of M/s Gouri Sales Agencies.
According to the ACB, the case was registered following a verification conducted into allegations that the MC Thanamandi had invited tenders for installing street lights in its limits, worth lakhs of rupees, specifying brands such as Havells, Syska, or Philips with a two-year guarantee or replacement. However, the Executive Officer allegedly connived with the supplier firm and accepted the supply of inferior quality LED bulbs instead of the quoted brands.
During the verification process, it was revealed that the President of the MC Thanamandi had invited a tender notice (No. MC/T/19/193-97 dated 06-03-2019) for the purchase of street lights of specific brands. However, 100 streetlights of 60 watts, make Mos-Lites, were received from M/S Gouri Sales Agencies instead of the prescribed brands. Out of these 100 street lights, only 42 lights were identified by the staff of the MC Thanamandi, while 58 lights could not be traced. Additionally, these lights were found to have been purchased at exorbitant rates.
The ACB’s investigation further uncovered that Mushtaq Ahmed, the then Executive Officer of the MC Thanamandi, without initiating any tendering process, issued another supply order (No. MC/T/2019/108A dated 16-05-2019) to M/S Gouri Sales Agencies for the purchase of 150 LED street lights of 45 watts, 150 LED bulbs of 40 watts, and other items. However, no record was found regarding the receipt or issuance of these lights and bulbs, despite bills being endorsed by Riyaz Ahmed, the then Storekeeper.
According to the ACB, Shakeel Ahmed Mir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Riyaz Ahmed, and other officers/officials of the MC Thanamandi, in collusion with the Proprietor of M/S Gouri Sales Agencies, released full payment for the LED street lights and LED bulbs purportedly purchased or supplied under the tender notice and supply order, resulting in a misappropriation of government funds amounting to approximately Rs. 5,96,870.
The ACB has conducted searches at the residences of the accused public servants in Rajouri district with the help of local police, magistrates, and independent witnesses. Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
