JAMMU: Assistant Labour Commissioner, Kishtwar was arrested on Tuesday for his involvement in a bribery case, registered on the complaint of an NGO when he was posted as ALC Poonch.
Director SVO Munir Khan said, “On the basis of an enquiry conducted by Vigilance to enquire into the allegations regarding demand and acceptance of bribe from the poor labourers of Poonch during the year 2011-12 in lieu of their registration in Labour Department, an FIR 18/2016 was registered under Section 5(1)(d) 4-A read with 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act Svt 2006, 120-B RPC against Assistant Labour Commissioner Aziz Ahmed Bhatti, son of Mohd. Shafi, resident of Poonch and other officials of Assistant Labour Commissioner’s Office, Poonch.”
SVO investigations revealed that there were financial irregularities and blatant discrepancies in grant of financial assistance for scholarship of wards, marriage assistance, medical assistance, maternity, funeral assistance, death benefits etc given to the labourers under J&K Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board scheme. It was also found that Aziz Ahmed Bhatti, then Assistant Labour Commissioner Poonch, by abuse of his official position and in violation of the norms/guidelines under the scheme, deprived the poor labourers of the financial assistance under the scheme whereas undeserving cases were sanctioned grants under the scheme against some consideration and ulterior motives in connivance and criminal conspiracy with others. In order to carry out detailed questioning regarding his involvement in the instant case, Aziz Ahmed Bhatti presently Assistant Labour Commissioner Kishtwar (then then ALC Poonch) was taken into custody by the sleuths of Vigilance Organization at Kishtwar and lodged in Police Station Kishtwar. After getting transit remand, he will be brought to Jammu for sustained questioning.