STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Why most of the cases fail when it comes to prosecution? One of the answers can be found in the case involving a Senior Prosecution Officer (Sr PO) of Jammu and Kashmir Police shielding an accused in lieu of consideration.
In a startling case, the Sr PO has been arrested after vigilance detected bank transaction wherein Sr PO’s PSO has returned Rs 1 lakh out of Rs 2 lakh allegedly taken as bribe to give clean chit to an accused.
The State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) received a complaint in this regard three months back. However, as nothing was found to verify the complaint, the file was consigned to records.
Director SVO Munir Khan, while going though the records of the case, found that a sum of Rs one lakh (through cheque) had been returned to a Moulvi, who is accused in a murder case. This proved that the Sr PO had received bribe from the accused Moulvi to help him go scot-free. The bribe money was returned to the Moulvi when he started demanding it as Sr PO failed to help him.
According to SVO sleuths, Constable Istkhar Ahmed Qureshi (Belt No 870/P), the then PSO of Sr PO Ajaz-ul-Hassan, presently posted in Mendhar Court, had returned Rs one lakh bribe amount through cheque. And, this has turned to be strongest evidence for SVO to book them all in corruption case.
Besides this, ASI Mohd Shabir, then posted as Reader to SHO Thannamandi now posted as SO CID SB Thannamandi, is also likely to be arrested for his alleged involvement.
FIR 10/2017 has been registered under Section 5(1)(d) 4-A read with 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt 2006, 120-B RPC against these accused.
According to case history, on the basis of an enquiry conducted by SVO to probe into the allegations regarding demand and acceptance of bribe of Rs. 2,00,000 by Ajaz-ul-Hassan Sr PO Poonch (then posted as Sr PO in JMIC Court, Thannamandi) from Moulvi Mushtaq Ahmed, son of Mohammad Iqbal resident of Panaid, Tehsil Kotranka, Darhal, Rajouri in lieu of helping him by not arraying him as an accused in FIR 29/14, under Sections 302, 34 and 201 RPC registered at Police Station Darhal, Rajouri against his father, brother and sister.
During the course of enquiry, it was found that accused Ajaz-ul-Hassan demanded a bribe of Rs. 2,00,000 in lieu of helping Moulvi Mushtaq Ahmed by not involving him in the case registered against his family members.
However, there was no evidence which could corroborate the money acceptance. And, the investigations were kept pending.
On Saturday, the SVO, after gathering all the evidences in the form of bank statements and mobile locations, booked Sr PO Ajaz-ul-Hassan presently posted as Senior Prosecuting Officer in Poonch at JMIC Court Mendhar.
Last night he was in Jammu and the SVO teams nabbed him from a hotel in Jewel area.
Further enquiries revealed that accused Ajaz-ul-Hassan accepted Rs 2 lakh in three installments. In order to carry out detailed questioning regarding his further involvement in the instant case, Ajaz-Ul-Hassan presently posted as Sr PO in Poonch at JMIC Court Mendhar was taken into custody and lodged him in Police Station Pacca Danga. More arrests are likely to be made in this case shortly.
