Tourism Dept scam unearthed; ACB chargesheets 14 accused in illegal building permission case; books AHD employee in disproportionate assets case
Srinagar: Amid tall claims by the governments that efforts are on to make J&K is being made a corruption free UT, reports, frequently appear about corrupt practices, arrests and chargesheets.
Anti-Corruption Bureau Kashmir has filed an FIR in connection with a financial scam in the Directorate of Tourism after detection of fraudulent entries in the J&K PaySys system, leading to misappropriation of lakhs of rupees by officials, produced chargesheet against 14 accused officials and private beneficiaries in connection with abuse of official position and criminal conspiracy and registered a disproportionate assets case against AHD employee for allegedly amassing huge wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
An ACB spokesman, in a statement issued here said that ACB registered a case in connection with misappropriation of government funds and tampering in J&K Paysys in the Accounts Section of the Directorate of Tourism, Kashmir.
On receipt of a written complaint, a preliminary enquiry was conducted by the ABC which revealed that public servants posted in the Accounts Section, namely Javed Ahmad Bhat, Junior Assistant (then In-charge Bill Clerk) and Tawseef Dilshad Zargar, MTS (then Assistant to Bill Clerk), fraudulently manipulated the Government’s sensitive software J&K PaySys, the statement said.
It further reads that the officials altered the account numbers of legitimate agencies in whose favour payments were due, replacing them with their own bank account numbers or those of their close relatives.
“Through this manipulation, the accused facilitated the illegal transfer of government funds into their own accounts and those of their family members, thereby misappropriating public money to the tune of lakhs of rupees,” said the statement.
The enquiry further established that the accused public servants, by abusing their official positions and acting in well-knit conspiracy with each other and others, fraudulently conferred undue pecuniary benefits upon themselves at the cost of the government exchequer, reads the statement, adding, “The acts of omission and commission on their part constitute offences punishable under Sections 7, 13(1)(a) & 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Sections 120-B, 420, 467 of IPC. Accordingly, FIR No. 16/2025 has been registered against 1. Javed Ahmad Bhat, Junior Assistant (then In-charge Bill Clerk), S/o Late Ghulam Hassan Bhat, R/o Sheikh Mohallah, Brein, Nishat, Srinagar 2. Tawseef Dilshad Zargar, MTS (then Assistant to Bill Clerk), S/o Late Dilshad Ahmad Zargar, R/o Chowdrigund, Shopian and Others involved in the misappropriation and forgery in J&K Paysys.”
The investigation of the case has been taken up, statement reads.
Meanwhile, ACB today produced chargesheet in case FIR No. 04/2019 for the commission of offences U/S 5(1)(d) r/w5(2) of J&K Prevention of Corruption Act. Svt. 2006, 120-B RPC at Police Station ACB Srinagar Kashmir before the Court of Special Anti-Corruption Judge Srinagar against 14 accused persons including 11 officers/officials of the Srinagar Municipal Committee (SMC), one Revenue official, and two private beneficiaries in connection with abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy, and conferring undue benefit to private individuals.
A statement, issued in this regard said that the instant case was registered following allegations that officers of SMC, in connivance with revenue authorities, facilitated illegal construction on State land at Barthana, Qamarwari (Khasra No. 90). The building permission was fraudulently issued in the name of Ghulam Qadir Sofi, who had died in 2008, but was actually misused by his son Mohammad Arif Sofi to raise a commercial building in violation of approved drawings. He also manipulated revenue records to encroach adjoining state land, with the active support of the accused public servants.
It said the investigation conducted by Police Station ACB Srinagar, on the basis of oral and documentary evidence, has fully substantiated the charges levelled against the accused officers/officials and private beneficiaries. The conspiracy between the accused government functionaries and the beneficiary was proved beyond doubt.
The statement further said that after obtaining the requisite sanction for prosecution of public servants from the government, the chargesheet against 14 accused persons including 12 public servants and two private beneficiaries was produced before the Court of Additional Judge Anti-Corruption Judge Srinagar for Judicial determination.
The next date of hearing has been fixed on 07.10.2025, the statement added.
In the meanwhile (ACB), Wednesday said that it has registered a disproportionate assets (DA) case against an employee of the Animal Husbandry Department for allegedly amassing huge wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The statement issued by the agency said that the case was registered after a discreet verification into allegations that the said employee, Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Ahmad Dar, R/O Gassu, Batapora, Hazratbal Srinagar had accumulated assets far exceeding his legitimate earnings.
During verification, it was found that the accused owned movable and immovable assets worth crores of rupees, including two palatial houses at Gassu Batapora, Hazratbal, Srinagar, a three-storey commercial shop at Main Market, Gassu Batapora, Hazratbal, large tracts of land in Gassu Batapora and adjoining areas of Hadoora and a luxury luxury vehicle, said the statement.
Accordingly, FIR No. 15/2025 was registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar under Section 13(1)(b) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).
Following the registration of the case, searches were carried out at three of the accused’s residential premises in the presence of Executive Magistrates, after obtaining due warrants from the competent court, statement said, adding, further investigation is underway.
