Bikram Singh as XEn R&B Nowshera issued payment against fake bills produced by JE Romesh Chander, JE officially attached in SE office Rajouri; Anti-corruption court framed charges against him, JE under patronage of SE Bikram Singh regularly performing duties in Kalakote division
Avinash Azad
More skeletons are tumbling out from the cupboard of ‘wrongdoing’ of the then Executive Engineer PW(R&B) Division Nowshera, Bikram Singh, later elevated and posted as Superintending Engineer PW (R&B) Rajouri-Poonch Circle, and subsequently shifted on -charges of illegal processing of e-tendering, as Superintending Engineer, DIQC J&K, a few days before his retirement.
Bikram Singh as XEn, PW(R&B) Division Nowshera, district Rajouri utilized the services of a tainted Junior Engineer (JE), Ramesh Chander, who was booked by State Vigilance Organisation (now ACB) in a disproportionate asset case on 14th December 2018 vide FIR no 40/2018 during his posting at Sub-Division Suderbani in district Rajouri.
Following the registration of the case by ACB, JE Romesh Chander was attached in the office of Superintending Engineer, PW (R&B) Rajouri-Poonch Circle. “Somehow, Bikram Singh managed his posting in Kalakote sub-division and used this ‘tainted’ JE to make his fortune, Bikram Singh accumulated huge wealth through JE Ramesh Chander,” sources said, adding that multiple complaints are pending jk grievance cell and other platforms against the JE.
“On 8th June 2023 Additional Sessions Judge Anti-Corruption, Rajouri Mehmood Chowdhary had framed charges against Romesh Chander, son of Patti Ram of Jawahar Nagar Rajouri, the then JE PWD Sub-Division Sunderbani, but still he can be seen accompanying, Superintending Engineer, till his transfer Bikram Singh, XEn Kalakote, AEE Kalakote, as the Kalakote PW(R&B) division came into existence after 15th August 2023 and performing his unauthorized duties”, sources said.
The sources (contractors and officers of R&B division Kalakote) appealed to the Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta a probe into the works executed/completed by the erstwhile Nowshera division be conducted by the CBI to unearth multi-crore scam including the works done by Municipal Committee Kakakote.
“On Mogla-Taleri Road for premix works Rs 17 Lacs released on bases of fake bills tested by JE Romesh Chander in connivance the then XEn PW (R&B) Nowshera Division, despite the fact a payment of Rs 27 lacs for genuine works had already been released in favor of contractor”, they said adding that another scandal on the same road took place in form of a culvert.
“The contractor who qualifies, for allotment of the culvert works quoted 35 percent below the estimated cost of the works, but payment was made in his favor in the above rate (exorbitant) rate due to the nexus between contractor, JE, and the XEn”, they said, adding that in several bills he signed of AEE sub-division Kalakote without his knowledge, but the then XEn Nowshera, Bikram Singh instead of withholding the payment of bills without stamps of AEE passed bills and issued payment, bleeding state exchequer, for personal gain.
They further said that for a ring road project in Kalakote town for a minor culvert 10-meter span, the JE Romesh Kumar issued payment for 9 tons of TMT bars in favor of the contractor, crossing all limits corruption, whereas 25-27 quintal of TMT bars were enough for the work.
“A diploma holder JE from Rajouri, now retired as AE, surprising one and all his colleagues managed engineering degree, without availing study leave and become AE from JE and remained posted in Nowshera division after his promotion”, sources said, adding he retired on 28th February 2023, but he was allowed to work till 31st March 2023, the bills passed and test checked done by the ‘paracuhtted’ AE could be easily accessed from PW (R&B) divisional office, the government should conduct to thorough probe into the works done in Nowshera division as XEn, and as SE Rajouri-Poonch Circle by Bikram Singh before his transfer, who is retiring on 31st October 2023, to unearth hundred crores scandal.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Nowshera Police had registered an FIR 166/22 under section 353,186,504,506 IPC against JE Ramesh Chander for assulating a cop on duty in the Nowshera town, on 16th July 2022.
Court frames charges against JE in DA case
On 8th June, 2023 the Additional Sessions Judge Anti Corruption, Rajouri Mehmood Chowdhary framed a charge against Romesh Chander, son of Patti Ram of Jawahar Nagar Rajouri, the then JE PWD Sub-Division Sunderbani. The allegation in the charge sheet is that a secret verification conducted pursuant to a complaint lodged against Romesh Chander revealed that the suspect has acquired huge assets both movable as well as immovable disproportionate to his non-source of income by resorting corrupt and illegal practice by abuse and misuse of his official position. Accordingly, FIR No.40/2018 for offenses under the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act was registered and an investigation commenced. At the conclusion of an investigation, it was established that the accused had raised three story fully furnished house with modern facilities and costly electronic gadgets at Jawahar Nagar Rajouri, one commercial plot at Jawahar Rajouri, land and a building at Dhangri, four shops constructed on a piece of land at village Dhangri, land measuring 4 Kanals at Dhangri, two tippers and one luxury car Verna. It has emerged that the accused by taking advantage of his official position is owns a brick kiln at Dhangri besides invested proceeds of his ill-gotten money in Vikrant Finance Company Rajouri. The accumulation of property/assets has been raised by the suspect officer either in his own name or in the name of his family members which amounts to criminal misconduct. After hearing both sides, the court observed, “The existence of prima-facie evidence proving grounds for presuming that the accused has committed the offense as alleged and the material available on record prima-facie established the involvement of the accused in the commission of the offense”. Accordingly, the court framed the charge.
ACB lodges complaint against JE
Earlier on 14th December 2018 SVO (now ACB) registered a formal case against Ramesh Chander of Jawahar Nagar, Rajouri posted as Junior Engineer at Sub Division Sunderbani vide FIR No. 40/2018 U/S 5(1) (e) r/w 5 (2) of J&K P C Act Samvat 2006 on 13.12.2018 for acquiring various moveable and immoveable properties. During the course of secret verification, it was found that the suspect had acquired various moveable and immoveable properties i.e. three story fully furnished house with modern facilities and costly articles at Rajouri, other immoveable properties in the form of land, plots, shops, Brick Kiln, etc. at Rajouri and also moveable properties like Tipper, Cars, JCB, etc. found. It had also come to the fore that he has invested money in various accounts, insurance policies, and others. The spokesman further said that it was also found that most of the above-mentioned properties/assets have been raised by the suspect official out of the ill-gotten money obtained by him by abuse and misuse of his official position as a public servant. “On the prima-facie establishment of allegations, Anti-Corruption Bureau Jammu registered a formal case and also conducted simultaneous raids with the help of local police /magistrates at the residential premises and office of an accused person in District Rajouri in the presence of independent witnesses”, said spokesman adding that during the process, incriminating documents including cash and documents pertaining to various immovable properties acquired by accused public servant, other documents regarding purchase of Tipper, JCB, Brick Kiln, a large number of bank accounts, Insurance Policies, other official records/bills, etc have been recovered from the residential house in Rajouri.
