Govt accords sanction for enquiry against 10 police officials over graft charges

Srinagar, Oct 5: Jammu and Kashmir government has accorded sanction for an enquiry against 10 police officials, including a Senior Superintendent of Police, in vehicle hiring scam for Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar.

Reports said the government gave the sanction to the Crime Branch of Police under the Prevention of Corruption Act for conducting inquiry against 10 police officials for their involvement in vehicle hiring scam.

The accused include SSP Zubair Ahmad Khan, ASP Farhat Jeelani, DySP Mushtaq Ahmad, SI Nisar Ahmad, Head Constables Abdul Rashid and Fareed Ahmad and constables Bilal Ahmad, Najamul Gani, Syed Tasweer and Tawseef Ahmad.

In July this year, police had sought sanction from the Government for Crime Branch inquiry against these officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

Reports quoting an official said the scam involves showing of hiring of more private vehicles for ferrying security forces for PCR in official records than the actual number of the vehicles that were hired.

Reports added that some of the vehicles were even provided fuel against proper receipt from the petrol pump but were never used for security duty.

Reports further said that preliminary enquiry was going against the officials from many months causing loss to the state exchequer.

The police department has sought sanction only after it was established that fraud has been committed in vehicle hiring, reports also said.

Earlier in 2014, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its report had revealed that an amount of Rs 4.04 crore was paid for hiring of buses, trucks and light motor vehicles during Parliamentary and Assembly elections by officials of PCR which turned out registered as scooters, motor cycles, non-commercial including small cars, tractors and bulldozers or were non-existent.