ACB registers case against 3 officers for misappropriation of Govt funds

Srinagar, Mar 21: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Thursday registered a case against a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Executive Engineer, and Assistant Executive Engineer, Manasbal Development Authority for abuse of official position and misappropriation of government funds.

A statement of ACB issued here said that FIR No 03/2024 under Section 5(1) (d) read with Section 5(2) J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and Section  120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code at Police Station ACB Baramulla against Zulfiqar Muhammad Khan, then Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ahmad Baba, the then Executive Engineer, and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh, the then Assistant Executive Engineer and Executive Engineer as well as beneficiary contractors Ghulam Nabi Mir, son of Ghulam Mohiuddin of Treesa and Ghulam Nabi Bhat, son of  Muhammad Maqbool Bhat of Safapora and others on account of misappropriation of government funds meant for various development works of parks on the culmination of verification.

It said that the verification conducted into the matter revealed that Wullar Manasbal Development Authority executed about 23 civil works during the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 out of which 18 works were tendered and in 15 works, huge illegal and fraudulent extensions were granted ranging from 44 percent to 218 percent by the then Chief Executive Officer Zulfiqar Muhammad Khan in brazen violation of laid down norms by the gross abuse of official position and authority as same was beyond the competence of the officer.

The statement said that the verification conducted further revealed that five works were illegally and fraudulently executed on an approval basis, even without inviting tenders by the then Chief Executive Officer Zulfiqar Muhammad Khan and then Executive Engineers, Wullar Manasbal Development Authority, Bashir Ahmad Baba and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh AEE during 2016 and 2019.

It said that the accused not only granted illegal and fraudulent extensions in these works but also raised and provided huge exorbitant rates to contractors on various items utilised in these works during the execution of works which was also in grave violation of laid down norms in vogue.

The statement said that during the preliminary probe, the experts from the Engineering Wing of the ACB Kashmir conducted a spot inspection of the works executed by the accused public servants and scrutinised the record based on which the loss caused was computed and liabilities of the officers fixed.

It said that acts of omission and commission on the part of the accused public servants in connivance and conspiracy with private beneficiaries (contractors) led to huge losses to the state exchequer and commensurate undue pecuniary benefits upon the contractors.

The statement said that immediately after the registration of FIR, 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 jurisdictional magistrates.

It said that the searches were conducted following legal and laid down procedures to gather evidence linked with the investigation of the case.

The statement said that during searches various incriminating documents have been recovered.

It said that further investigations of the case are going on.