Srinagar: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a chargesheet against a former Executive Officer of Municipal Committee Kupwara and two others for allegedly granting illegal building permission and allowing encroachment on government land earmarked for construction and expansion of the bus stand at Regipora Kupwara.
According to ACB, a complaint was received alleging illegal permissions, encroachment and construction on municipal land that had already been acquired by the government for the bus stand project and for which compensation had been paid.
Following the complaint, a Joint Surprise Check was conducted which revealed alleged irregularities by the then Executive Officer MC Kupwara, Bashir Ahmad Dar, in sanctioning permission for a shopping complex in favour of Ghulam Mohammad Mir, attorney holder of land measuring 1 kanal and 16 marlas under Khasra No. 661. Subsequently, FIR No. 14/2022 was registered and investigation initiated.
Investigations revealed that the officer issued two permissions for construction of a double-storey shopping complex without following due procedure and without obtaining mandatory No Objection Certificate from the Town Planning Organisation, in violation of the Jammu and Kashmir Control of Building Operations Act, 1988.
The probe further found that the land on which the structure was raised had already been officially notified and acquired for public purpose — construction of the Kupwara bus stand — and therefore private building permission could not legally be granted.
The ACB stated that the officer was aware that similar permission requests had been declined earlier by his predecessors due to legal impediments, which were recorded in inspection reports and file notings. The illegal permission allegedly caused a loss of ₹57.37 lakh to the state exchequer and also jeopardised the proposed bus stand project.
Besides Bashir Ahmad Dar, charges have also been filed against Mohammad Abdullah Malik, the then Khilafwarzi Inspector MC Kupwara, and beneficiary Ghulam Mohammad Mir for offences under Section 5(1)(c)(d) read with 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B RPC.
The chargesheet has been presented before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court Baramulla, which has fixed April 18, 2026, as the next date of hearing.
