Smart City works under Anti-Corruption Bureau radar

Srinagar, Jan 14: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) J&K has registered preliminary enquiries related to the misappropriation of Devri Stones and the use of substandard material in Srinagar Smart City Project Ltd.

In a statement, ACB said it registered Preliminary Enquiry (PE) N0.01/2025 in Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau Srinagar following reliable inputs indicating the misappropriation of materials, including Devri Stones, Path Tiles, Iron Grills etc in Srinagar City. “The material is suspected to have been either unaccounted for or allegedly sold in the open market for personal gains, during the revamp and beautification under the Srinagar Smart City Ltd. project rather than being retained in the stores of the concerned Engineering Division,” the statement said.

“The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) also registered 2nd Preliminary Enquiry (PE) N0.02/2025 in Police Station Anti-Corruption Bureau Srinagar with regard to use of substandard material in ongoing development work at Foreshore Road Nishat in Srinagar City for Cycle Track, Footpath facing Dal Lake & viewing decks etc from Nishat upto Naseem Bagh PHC (Public Health Centre). The officers/officials of Srinagar Smart City Ltd. in connivance with beneficiary contractor also deliberately avoided the mandatory procedures thereby compromising the quality of works. Probe of both Preliminary Enquiries is in progress,” the statement added.

On January 10, a massive corruption scandal engulfed the Srinagar Smart City Project, with the ACB launching a full-scale investigation into allegations of illicit wealth amassed by top officials of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) and registered cases against two senior officials besides carrying out raids at multiple places.

The ACB action comes at a time when the city continues to grapple with delayed and substandard execution of key infrastructure projects under the Smart City initiative.

The cases were registered after the ACB conducted a secret verification into the allegation against Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sajid Yousuf Bhat and Executive Engineer Zahoor Ahmad Dar.

Bhat has been booked under section 13(1) (b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of lawful income.

Accordingly, case FIR No 01/2025 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar. Dar has been found involved under the commission of offence under Section 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for possession of assets which are prima-facie disproportionate to his known sources of lawful income.

Accordingly, case FIR N0 02/2025 has been registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), ACB, Waheed Ahmad Shah said that the bureau had acted on numerous complaints against two senior SSCL officers. “Dar and Bhat have been accused of exploiting their official positions to accumulate disproportionate assets, leading lives of luxury far beyond their legitimate earnings,” he said.