ACB books ex-Class IV employee of CAPD for amassing assets worth crores

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked a former Class IV employee of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department for amassing Disproportionate Assets (DA) worth crores of rupees through corrupt practices
According to ACB statement, an FIR has been lodged against Mohd Shafi Rather, alias Kanda, resident of Wanigam Bala, Pattan in District Baramulla, who was formerly employed as a Class IV employee in the CAPD Department in Baramulla.
“The verification conducted revealed that the suspect initially worked as commission agent in a fair price shop and was subsequently appointed as Kandaman (Class 4th ) in CAPD Baramulla and mostly worked in office of AD Food Baramulla, during which he, in connivance with other officers and officials, by indulging in corrupt practices came in possession of huge assets in the shape of immovable and movable properties and has also made huge investments and expenditure”, the statement added.
During verification, it was found that by indulging in corrupt practices, Mohd Shafi Rather has amassed assets of crores of rupees in shape of land at Jammu and other different places, houses and other items.
The description of these huge properties, expenditures and investments, which surfaced during verification, include double storey residential house (under construction) at Wanigam Bala, Pattan worth Rs. 40.34 lakh; construction of double stories house at Wanigam Bala worth Rs. 32.92 lakh; single storey concrete house along with five Marlas of land at Bathindi Jammu, amounting to Rs. 32 lakh; investments of Rs 1.50 Crore; joint purchase of huge chunk of land, measuring 107 Kanals at Mouza Nehalpora Poshwani, Tehsil Pattan, total value Rs. 7.30 crore in 2018; investments of Rs 64.01 lakh in joint purchase of huge chunk of land measuring 30 Kanals at Bhat Colony Hartrath Singhpora, District Baramulla, total value Rs. 7.50 crore in 2019; land measuring 4 Kanals 5 Maralas situated on Wanigam-Tilgam road at Behrampora Kongamdara Pattan purchased for an amount of Rs. 13.81 lakhs in 2011; land measuring 20 Marlas at Bandibala Tehsil Kreeri, purchased for Rs. 8 lakh jointly in 2015; land measuring 30 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchased jointly for an amount of Rs. 40.65 lakh in 2016; land measuring 17 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu, purchased for Rs. 25.37 lakh 2017; land measuring 33 Marlas at Chowadi Jammu, purchased for Rs. 49.25 lakh in 2017; expenditure of Rs 111.46 lakh including payments of Rs 44.25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to two different persons; purchase of gold ornaments worth Rs 24.10 lakh from Kadla Jewelers Srinagar, jointly with others.
“In addition to this, immovable, movable properties, investments having been acquired and possessed by the suspect, which surfaced during the probe and investigations, include house at Umerabad Srinagar, land measuring 13 Marlas at Drang Tangmargh Baramulla, land measuring 1 Kanal 2 Marlas at Shikargah, land measuring 4 Kanals at Wannigam Bala Pattan Baramulla, land measuring 12 Marlas at HMT Srinagar, Life insurance policy of Rs 1.18 lakh, PPF Rs 5.50 lakh, two-wheeler scooty and furniture items, carpet, fridge, washing machine, Samsung phone, AC and other articles.
The probe conducted further revealed that the suspect has accumulated huge assets without seeking proper permission from prescribed competent authority, as mandated under law by indulging in corrupt practices. Accordingly, provisions of Section 12/14 of J&K Public Men and Public Servants (Declaration of Assets & other Provisions) Act 1983 have been invoked against the accused. Beside this, it also surfaced that some of assets and investments are found to be purchased or made jointly by suspect in connivance with other officers and officials, who thereby actively facilitated and abetted the suspect in accumulation of the huge disproportionate assets, have been booked under Section 109 RPC for abetment.
The verification conducted also revealed that the expenditure incurred, and the value of assets acquired by the suspect have been found to be excessively disproportionate to the income earned by him from all known sources during the service period for which, during the probe, the suspect could not satisfactorily account for the pecuniary resources and property found disproportionate to his known sources of income. Accordingly on culmination of the probe case FIR No 11-2024 under section 5(1) (e) r/w 5 (2) of J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006, and section 12/14 of J&K Public Men and Public Servants (Declaration of Assets & other Provisions) Act 1983 was registered against accused Mohd Shafi Rather and other officers/officials were booked under Section 109 RPC at PS ACB Baramulla and investigations were set into motion. Immediately after registration of the case, search warrants were obtained from the Anti-Corruption Court Baramulla and in pursuance to which searches were conducted simultaneously at eight different locations, situated at Pattan, Baramulla and Bathindi Jammu in presence of Executive Magistrates and independent witnesses, during which various incriminating documents pertaining to possession of vehicle Swift dezire, documents pertaining to admission of his son, Aqib Shafi in University Ain Shama Egypt, documents pertaining to purchase of laptop, plot design prepared by architect, documents pertaining to land at Bandipora, measuring 1 kanal ½ Marlas, some vouchers, documents pertaining to Met life Policies etc were recovered and seized as per law. Further investigations are going on, the statement added.