Srinagar, Feb 14: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered 22 cases of corruption against Jammu and Kashmir Bank officials including those in the senior ranks since 2019.
According to information shared by the ACB, of these 22 cases, five have been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), 12 remain under active investigation, and five cases have resulted in filing of charge-sheets.
Reiterating its resolve to root out corruption, ACB said since 2019, a total of 515 corruption cases have been registered, of which 231 were trap cases where employees were caught accepting bribes red-handed. Furthermore, 90 senior officers, including one IAS officer and 89 KAS officers have also been booked under various corruption charges.
Jammu and Kashmir Bank has remained in the spotlight in recent years due to high-profile corruption cases involving its top officials, prompting closer scrutiny of its operations by investigative agencies.
In its bid to strengthen capacity to address financial fraud and misappropriation, the ACB has been bringing in officers from central agencies on deputation.
According to official sources, Mahesh Kumar, Assistant Director from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), is currently on deputation in the ACB, having joined in August 2023. Prior to him, three officers, including S Balausramony, SP from the CBI, Ajay Singh, Deputy Director from the ED, and Amit Kumar, AD/Deputy Director, also worked in the agency on deputation.
Among the departments, the Revenue is the “most implicated” with 69 employees caught in bribery cases, followed by the Rural Development Department with 35 cases. Other notable departments include the Police, which have seen 26 employees caught accepting bribes, the Forest Department with 17, the Power Department with 13, and the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department with 9 cases.
District-wise analyses reveal that Srinagar has the highest number of corruption cases, with 43 officials apprehended accepting bribes. This figure is largely attributed to the concentration of headquarters of departments in the city including the Civil Secretariat.
Following Srinagar, Baramulla has reported 40 cases, while Jammu, the winter capital of J&K, accounts for 24 employees caught in bribery traps.
Other districts that have recorded significant numbers include Ganderbal (17), Kulgam (8), Kupwara (15), Anantnag (14), Budgam (14), and Pulwama (16).
The figures from additional districts are: Bandipora (9), Udhampur (6), Rajouri (8), Doda (4), Shopian (2), Kathua (4), Reasi (2), Poonch (3) and Ramban (2).
