Early Times Report
jammu, Dec 9: Additional sessions judge, anti-corruption, Jammu, Kishore Kumar has returned the challan presented by the crime branch (CB) of state police in a case of preparation of fake and fraudulent ration cards of about 2,000 of Kashmiri Pandits and Sikh migrants for further investigation with a direction to CB SSP to entrust the investigation to an officer not below the rank of a Dy SP who shall wrap the probe preferably within a period of three months.
According to the prosecution case, CB swung into action on the written report inter-alia alleging that one Vijay Kumar, son of Dhuni Chand, in connivance with relief officer Kashmiri Lal had prepared fake and fraudulent ration cards of about 2,000 of Kashmiri Pandit and Sikh migrants. On investigation, the relevant record from the relief office zone No 12, Channi Himmat, and other record in the shape of cheques and ledger sheets were seized from the Fruit Mandi and Nehru Market branches of J&K Bank branch.
The CB observed that the bank employees, govt employees (relief office) and other civil beneficiaries, including Anil Kumar, Yash Pal and Vijay Kumar had allegedly hatched a criminal conspiracy and indulged in corrupt practices with the intention to cause a huge loss to the government exchequer. The bank employees passed order cheques on forged endorsements by ignoring the guidelines and credited money into account Nos SB-2392, SB-2464, SB-5500 and SB-2552 by opening fresh accounts and made cash payments of order cheques meant for Kashmiri migrants on the allegedly forged signatures. The bank officials/officers credited an amount of Rs 58,96,100 into these accounts.
The court observed that the officials/officers of the relief office zone-12, Chhanni Himmat, and the employees of J&K Bank, after indulging themselves in corrupt practices, misused their official position with criminal intention to cause wrongful gain to themselves and hatched a criminal conspiracy along with three civilians -- Anil Kumar, Yash Pal Sharma and Vijay Kumar -- and withdrew the cheques meant for Kashmiri migrants and grabbed public money to the tune of Rs 58,96,100.
The judge observed that the officer, who attested the account opening forms, was having the code No 5461 but strangely enough, the IO has not investigated the role of the bank officials/officers who attested the account opening forms and this aspect of the case requires further investigation and surprisingly the CB investigation has taken 22 years to reach a conclusion and that too half-baked which shows the lack of control over the IOs and the investigation of those who are at the helm of affairs.
The court wondered how many such investigations were still pending in the various departments of police agencies. However, it would be for the concerned controlling officers to see that the pace of such cases, if any, are speeded up since delay breeds corruption.
After going through the facts, the court observed that further investigation of the case was necessary in the facts and circumstances of the case to probe the matter further and ordered that CB SSP (Jammu) shall entrust the investigation to an officer not below the rank of a DSP who shall wrap the investigation preferably within a period of three months. -(JNF) |
