ACB registers case against former CEO, other officers of Development Authority

21 March 2024

Srinagar, Mar 21: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday said to have registered a case against the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Engineer and Assistant Executive Engineer, Manasbal Development Authority for abuse of official position and misappropriation of Govt funds.

In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesman said that Anti Corruption Bureau registered a case under FIR number 03/2024 under section 5(1) (d) r/w Section 5(2) J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006& section 120-B RPC at PS ACB Baramulla against Zulfiqar, then Chief Executive Officer , Bashir Ahmad, the then Executive Engineer, Zahoor Ahmad the then Assistant Executive Engineer/Executive Engineer as well as beneficiary contractors namely Ghulam Nabi and another Ghulam Nabi and others on account of misappropriation of Govt funds meant for various development works parks etc on the culmination of verification.

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The verification conducted into matter revealed that Wullar Manasbal Development Authority executed about 23 number of civil works during the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 & 2018-19. Out of which 18 works were tendered and in 15 works, huge illegal & fraudulent extensions were granted ranging from 44% to 218% by the then Chief Executive Officer in brazen violation of laid down norms by gross abuse of official position & authority as same was beyond competence of the officer, the statement reads.

The statement added that the verification conducted further revealed that five works were illegally & fraudulently executed on approval basis, even without inviting tenders by the then Chief Executive Officer and then Executive Engineers, Wullar Manasbal Development Authority, AEE during the period 2016-2019.

“The accused persons not only granted illegal/fraudulent extensions in these works but also raised& provided huge exorbitant rates to contractors on various items utilized in these works during execution of works which was also in grave violation of lid down norms in vogue,” the statement added.

During the course of preliminary probe the experts from Engineering wing of ACB Kashmir conducted spot inspection of the works executed by the accused public servants and scrutinized the record on the basis of which the loss caused was computed & liabilities of the officers fixed, it said.

The acts of omission & commission on part of the accused public servants in connivance and conspiracy with private beneficiaries (contractors) led to huge loss to state exchequer and commensurate undue pecuniary benefits upon the contractors. 6. Immediately after the registration of FIR, House search warrants in respect of accused public servants were issued by the court of Spl Judge Anti Corruption Baramulla and in pursuance to House search warrants, the ACB conducted searches in multiple locations simultaneously belonging to accused persons at Srinagar and Ganderbal in presence of respective jurisdictional Magistrates, the statement said.

The searches were conducted meticulously, in accordance with legal/laid down/ procedure, to gather evidence linked with the investigation of the case. During the course of searches various incriminating documents have been recovered. Further investigations of the case are going on, the statement said—(KNO)