Govt employees indulging in private profit-earning serious concern: Court

Srinagar, Nov 17: Expressing serious concern over some officials’ alleged indulging in private profit-earning business despite being on the government payroll, a court here on Monday directed SSP Crime Branch Srinagar to investigate a matter purportedly involving spouses of a private tuition centre.

One Mufti Hamid had petitioned the court with the contention that some of his partners in SKIE Classes had "deceptively promoted some institutions under similar names like “S-KIE,” “Saddam KIE Private Ltd,” “Saddam KIE,” “SKIE NEXT GENERATION CLASSES – (Sadam KIE Private Limited),” or any other variant similar to “SKIE”.

Besides, he had alleged that the partners illegally inducted their husbands into the activities of the institute, which violates government orders and constitutes serious misconduct.

“The allegations propagated by the petitioner about the involvement of some of the spouses of the respondents in the partnership business, despite being on the payrolls of the Government, is a serious concern,” Additional District Judge Farooq Ahmad Bhat said in his order.

The court directed the SSP, Crime Branch Srinagar, to conduct an enquiry as to whether the spouses of the respondents have indulged in any private profit-earning activities in the institute from 20-07-2022, despite being on the Government pay-roll.

"In doing so the SSP would be free to summon any record or video footage from any quarter concerned with the operation of the institute and take appropriate action as per the provisions of law governing the subject, the court said.

The enquiry report, it said, shall be submitted to it within two months.

Moreover, the court restrained respondents from rebranding the logo “SKIE” classes as “S-KIE” (Sadam-KIE Pvt Ltd) forthwith, failing which, it said, appropriate proceedings shall follow.