STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday registered a case against Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan, then Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ahmad Baba, the then Executive Engineer, Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh the then Assistant Executive Engineer/ Executive Engineer as well as beneficiary contractors namely Ghulam Nabi Mir, son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din, resident of Treesa and Ghulam Nabi Bhat, son of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat, resident of Safapora and others on account of misappropriation of Govt funds meant for various development works parks etc on the culmination of verification.
“The verification conducted into matter revealed that Wullar Manasbal (WMBA) Development Authority executed about 23 civil works during the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, of which 18 works were tendered and in 15 works, huge illegal and fraudulent extensions were granted ranging from 44 per cent to 218 per cent by the then Chief Executive Officer Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan in brazen violation of laid down norms by gross abuse of official position and authority as same was beyond competence of the officer,” ACB official said.
“The verification conducted further revealed that five works were illegally and fraudulently executed on approval basis, even without inviting tenders by the then Chief Executive Officer namely Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan and then Executive Engineers, Wullar Manasbal Development Authority, Bashir Ahmad Baba and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh AEE during the period 2016-2019,” official added.
“The accused persons not only granted illegal and fraudulent extensions in these works but also raised and 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,” official said.
During the course of preliminary probe, the official said that 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 and liabilities of the officers fixed.
The acts of omission and 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, official further stated.
Immediately after the registration of FIR FIR No. 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, house search warrants in respect of accused public servants were issued by the court of Special Judge Anti Corruption Baramulla and in pursuance to House search warrants, the ACB conducted searches in multiple locations simultaneously belonging to accused persons at Rhematabad Colony Hyderpora, Malik Masjid Soura, Sabzi Mandi Soura and Durpora Mangiam Ganderbal in presence of respective jurisdictional Magistrates.
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, official said adding that further investigations of the case are going on.