FCS&CA’s 'Crorepati Kandaman' in ACB Net

Srinagar, Sep 01: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a class fourth employee in the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department Baramulla for possession of disproportionate assets of crores of rupees.

A statement of the ACB issued here said that verification was conducted by the ACB to look into the allegation that Muhammad Shafi Rather alias Kanda, a class 4th employee (Kandaman) in the office of Assistant Director FCS&CA Baramulla, had amassed huge assets by indulging in corrupt practices which were disproportionate to his know source of income.

The verification conducted revealed that the suspect initially worked as a commission agent at a fair price shop and was subsequently appointed as a class fourth employee (Kandaman) in the FCS&CA Baramulla.

It revealed that he mostly worked in the office of Assistant Director FCS&CA Baramulla during which he, in connivance with other officers and officials, indulged in corrupt practices and came into possession of huge assets in the shape of immovable and movable properties and also made huge investments and expenditures.

The statement said that during verification, it was found that by indulging in corrupt practices, he amassed assets of crores of rupees in the 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 includes an under-construction double-storey residential house at Wanigam Bala, Pattan worth Rs 40.34 lakh; a double-storey house at Wanigam Bala worth Rs 32.92 lakh; single storey concrete house along with 5 marlas of land at Bathindi Jammu amounting to Rs 32 lakh;

investments of Rs 1.50 crore in joint purchase of huge chunk of land measuring 107 kanal at Mouza Nehalpora Poshwani, Pattan that was valued at Rs 7.30 crore in year 2018; investments of Rs 64.01 lakh in joint purchase of huge chunk of land measuring 30 kanals at Bhat Colony Hartrath Singhpora; Baramulla valued at Rs 7.50 crore in the year 2019; land measuring 4 kanals 5 marlas situated on Wanigam-Tilgam road at Behrampora Kongamdara Pattan purchased for an amount of Rs 13.81 lakh in the year 2011;

land measuring 1 kanal at Bandibala tehsil Kreeri purchased against an amount of Rs 8 lakh jointly in the year 2015; land measuring 1.5 kanal land at Chowadi Jammu purchased jointly for an amount of Rs 40.65 lakh in the year 2016; land measuring 17 marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchase for an amount of Rs 25.37 lakh year 2017; land measuring 1 kanal 3 marlas at Chowadi Jammu purchased for an amount of Rs 49.25 lakh in the year 2017; expenditures of Rs 1.11 crore including payments of Rs 44.25 lakh and Rs 10 lakh to two different persons; purchase of gold ornaments of Rs 24.10 lakh from Kadla Jewelers Srinagar jointly with others.

The statement said that the probe conducted revealed that in addition to these assets, the suspect also acquired and possessed immovable and movable properties, and investments including a house at Umerabad Srinagar; land measuring 13 marlas at Drang Tangmargh Baramulla; land measuring 1 kanal and 2 marlas at Shikargah; land measuring 4 kanal at Wannigam Bala Pattan, Baramulla; land measuring 12 marlas at HMT Srinagar; life insurance policy of Rs 1.18 lakh; PPF of Rs 5.50 lakh; a two-wheeler scooter; furniture items, carpet, refrigerator, washing machine, Samsung phone, AC and other articles.

The probe conducted revealed that the suspect had accumulated huge assets without seeking proper permission from prescribed competent authority as mandated under the law by indulging in corrupt practices.

Accordingly, provisions of Section 12/14 of J&K Public Men and Public Servants (Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions) Act 1983 have been invoked against the accused.

Besides this, it also surfaced that some of the assets and investments were found to be purchased and made jointly by the suspect in connivance with other officers and officials, who thereby actively facilitated and abetted the suspect in the accumulation of the huge disproportionate assets and have been booked under Section 109 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) for abetment.

The verification conducted also revealed that the expenditure incurred, and the value of assets acquired by the suspect are 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 instant case FIR No 11-2024 under Section 5(1) (e) read with 5 (2) of the J&K PC Act Svt 2006, and Section 12/14 of J&K Public Men and Public Servants (Declaration of Assets and Other Provisions) Act, 1983, was registered against accused Muhammad Shafi Rather, son of Muhammad Sultan Rather of Wanigam Bala, Pattan, Baramulla and other officers and officials were booked under Section 109 RPC at PS ACB Baramulla and investigations were set into motion.

Immediately after the registration of the case, search warrants were obtained from the  ACB Baramulla and in pursuance of which searches were conducted simultaneously at eight different locations situated at Pattan, Baramulla, Bhatindi Jammu in presence of Executive Magistrates and independent witnesses during which various incriminating documents about possession of vehicle Swift Dezire and documents about the admission of his son Aqib Shafi in University Ain Shama Egypt, documents about the purchase of a laptop, plot design prepared by an architect, documents about land at Bandipora measuring 1 kanal and a half marlas, some vouchers, and documents about Metlife policies were recovered and seized as per the law.

“Further investigations are going on,” the ACB statement said.