J&K Police SI Recruitment Scam: Court frames charges against CMO BSF, 23 others

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: In a significant development, Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Jammu, Anjum Ara, has framed charges against a total of 24 individuals, including the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Border Security Force (BSF), Karnail Singh, in connection with the Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment scam. The charges were officially laid out during a court session. The list of accused individuals comprises Ashok Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Jaisunya Sharma, Kewal Krishan, Raman Sharma, Amit Kumar Sharma, Rakesh Kumar, Sunil Sharma, Suresh Kumar Sharma, Jagdish Lal, Kashmir Singh, Atul Kumar, TarsemLal, Yatin Yadav alias Nittu alias Guruji alias Ramu Sir, Vikas Sharma, Anil Kumar, Ashok alias Ashok Pandit alias GauravPandit, Pawan Kumar, AsheeshYadav alias Monu, Bajinder Singh, Surinder Kumar, Surender Singh alias Commando, and Pradeep Kumar Katiyar. The case revolves around allegations of irregularities in the written examination for Sub-Inspectors’ posts within the Jammu & Kashmir Police, which was conducted by the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB). The investigation was prompted by a communication from Dr. Mohammad Usman Khan, KAS, Deputy Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of J&K. The GAD’s communication, dated July 8, 2022, conveyed the decision to investigate the matter through the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based on an inquiry committee’s findings.The inquiry committee established a prima facie case of criminal conspiracy involving JKSSB officials, M/s Merit Trac Bengaluru, beneficiaries of the recruitment, and other accused parties. Charges have been framed under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property), 408 (criminal breach of trust), and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The investigation revealed that the examination was conducted by the JKSSB for the first time, with the exam date initially set for October 21, 2021. The number of vacancies was later increased from 800 to 1200, leading to the exam being conducted on March 27, 2022. However, the results were subsequently cancelled by the Government of J&K on July 8, 2022, leading to the CBI investigation.CJM Jammu Anjum Ara, after hearing arguments from both the CBI’s public prosecutor Vijay Dogra and the battery of lawyers representing the accused individuals, concluded that there was sufficient evidence to prima facie establish the charges.
Accordingly, she charged the accused with the commission of the aforementioned offenses under the IPC. This development marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into the alleged recruitment scam.