news details |
|
|
| Nirav Modi, Choksi 'looted' Kishtwar Sapphire | | People demand probe into Police, smuggler nexus; seek CM's intervention | | Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 3: Even though the Punjab National Bank fraud surfaced recently had no direct impact on the cash starved Jammu and Kashmir but the fraudster and fugitive Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have managed to rob the state of its precious Sapphire minerals worth billions of rupees through a well planned nexus of Sapphire smugglers and police official nexus, sources told Early Times.
They said the nexus has deep roots in the smuggling of precious Sapphire gems from Suncham Sapphire mines in Padder Sub Division of Kishtwar District situated at an altitude of more than 14000 feet above the sea level.
The sources privy to enforcement Directorate and CBI probing the Nirav Modi fraud and scandal told the "Early Times" that the stock of Kashmir sapphire which was available in foreign showrooms of Nirav Modi and Gitanjali of Choksi showroom is worth Rs 40000 crores ,while as per the Jammu and Kashmir Government official records from 1963 till 2017, only Rs. 4.20 lakhs worth revenue has been recovered in sequel to well documented records of each gram Kishtwar's Blue Pea cock neck Sapphire explored from rare of rarest this blue mines at Suncham Padder Kishtwar.
One of the accused Mehul Choksi seems one of the close partner of Sapphire loot from Kashmir by Nirav Modi.
As per the official record submitted by the Ministry of Industries and Commerce in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly few years ago, it stated that as compared to official sale of 17 kilograms of total sapphire accumulated in official treasures from 1962 to 13 March 2008, only 1.13 crore were recovered by J&K Government in 2008 while as one single Sapphire Blue Diamond ring named as "Kashmir star" of 19.88 carats was sold by Nirav and Choksi for Rs 22 crores in 2011 while thousands of sapphire carrots are available in shelves of Nirav Modi show rooms in Hong Kong, Texas ,New York ,London and Paris.
The Discovery channel in 2011 in its world famous Kashmir sapphire loot program revealed how Kashmir treasure was smuggled from Kishtwar to Jaipur and how from Jaipur it was purchased for outside smugglers.
In a written reply to CQ. No. 249 of Congress MLC from Doda Sham Lal Bhagat in July 2016, Minister In charge Industries and Commerce stated that the lease of corundum and other gem stones situated at Sumcham, Padder in Kishtwar District has been granted to J&K Minerals Limited.
As per reply the government earns Rs. 131.97 Lakhs in 2007-08 through auction that took place on 11/12-03-2008, Rs. 74.70 Lakhs in 2009-10, Rs. 47.22 Lakhs in 2011-12, Rs. 43.28 Lakhs in 2012-13 and Rs. 88.62 Lakhs in 2015-16 which amounts to Rs. 420.88 Lakhs in last 8 years which is far less as compared to the availability of the Sapphire deposits in the area.
The government further stated that the Geology and Mining Department has received Royality/Dead rent on extraction of Neelam (Sapphire) in Chenab Valley on an average of Rs. 414287 per year.
The Minister had also announced the issuance of global tender, but during same year world famous discovery channel in its investigative Program
"Games of Stones" shows how Kishtwar Sapphire named as "Kashmir Sapphire) was sold in Jaipur openly at Rs. 1.20 Crores per piece.
It was not only the local smugglers who are interested in smuggling the precious Sapphire of Kishtwar, but the foreign smuggler and businessmen involved the trade also shows interest and deep love towards these gems found in Kishtwar District and in this connection Kishtwar police also arrested three Sri Lankan's in July 2011 namely Mohammed Ikram Son of Abu Hassan, Mohammed Shah Bin Qasim Bin Hattar Son of Zaabur Bin Sultan Izakore,Akber Qasim Son of Azhar Al Zehrat all residents of Berola, Tehsil & District Kalutara Srilanka.
The local contact accompanying them was identified as Ramesh Kumar Son of Diwan Chand Thakur of Village Sounder Dachhan District Kishtwar, however police did not mention the quantity of the Sapphire seized from the three Sri Lankans and their local accomplice and if insiders are to be believed around 92 pieces of Sapphire were seized from them by the Kishtwar police.
Geology and Mining Department is under scanner for increase in number of Sapphire smuggling cases, but the role of Kishtwar police has also come under scanner as to how these Sapphire Smugglers managed to reach the Sapphire mines at Suncham village situated at the height of over 14000 ft above the sea level having no human population and how the arrested smugglers managed to get out from clutches of Padder police as beside the mines are located at very difficult location and one needs to cover the distance by foot which requires at least 4 days to a person to manage access to the Padder Sapphire mines. Moreover the area lacks human population and also remains covered with several feet's of snow for most part of the year and it is only between July-September, the employees of Geology and Mining Department visit the area for extraction of Sapphire. During all these months, police also establishes a police post at Suncham village a few kilometers away from famous Sapphire mines. It was alleged that during said period I.e. from July-September, the Sapphire smugglers keep their fingers crossed to getting an access to these precious Sapphire gems in nexus with some local Sapphire smugglers operating in the area having full knowledge of various routes leading to Suncham Sapphire mines.
Similarly one Insurance Surveyor Subash Saraf of Talab Tillo was also arrested by Crime Brach along with Sapphire Shiv lingam and Radha Krishan Idol along with ten accomplices.
As compared to the stock of Auctions of sapphire in J&K, the showrooms shells available on Public domain show stock worth more than Rs 40000 crores. Even one blue Kashmir sapphire ring was sold by Christie in Geneva for Rs 22 crores of Indian currency value. Similarly thousands of rings and necklaces of Kashmir sapphire were sold by these looters of state treasure which is facing lot of financial crisis and mostly remains dependent on funds from Centre to run the financial affairs of the state.
The blue sapphire exploration has been declared as prohibited act since 14th century when Simha Deva escaped with tonnes of Blue Sapphire to Kishtwar in 1321 AC.
Even great Sufi saint of Kashmir Hazrat Bulbulshah (RA) had recommended that no one should loot blue treasure of Kashmir and Kishtwar as it is a spiritual treasure and throughout globe this blue spiritual sapphire of Kishtwar are rare of rare and peerless.
The sources said that when officially, only 17 kilograms has been auctioned in 2008 in Jammu auction, how come Kashmir sapphire worth 40000 crores came in possession of Nirva, Chowksi, Christie and Sotheby.
"When international channels beamed sensational images of international smuggling of Kashmir sapphire ,when Taliban commanders exhibited Kashmir sapphire in their hands ,when such sapphire is nowhere in world but in Kishtwar only--- why no action was taken to stop Nirav Modi and Choksi to sell Kashmir sapphire without showing proof how he got such huge stock without having any official stock of such huge quantity available with him" said the sources added that will incumbent Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti order the probe into the circumstance that lead to smuggling of such huge quantity of Sapphire from Kishtwar mines to London and other parts of the world.
Local and National media including "Early Times" newspaper published various alarming stories of loot of Sapphire from Kishtwar sapphire hillocks, but unfortunately eyes were closed with regard to such media reports and international channel.
Same way no heed was given in spite of fact that top authorities were made aware of such alarming stories published in National and local Media.
The sources said that during last 10 years, several FIRs were registered in the state of J&K, particularly in Kishtwar District, but till date no one was convicted in any case and in majority of the cases the accuse were acquitted by the courts like in case related to the arrest of three Sri Lankan who was acquitted by the court within six months and to the surprise of many, Kishtwar police even did not appeal against the acquittal of the three Sri Lankan smugglers.
The sources said that under well planned conspiracy and nexus involving police officials, in many cases the Sapphire pieces seized from the smugglers were replaced with broken pieces of glasses resembling to the Sapphire or with by certain blue colored stones which helps many smugglers in escaping the law which needs to be probed.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti being as the Home Minister must order probe and reinvestigation into the cases related to Sapphire smuggling registered in various Police Stations of the state so that those police officers could be punished who successfully manage to replace the precious Sapphire stones with inferior quality of stones helping the looters.
The sources said that some officers even reportedly sell the recovered Sapphire pieces to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi outlets at Udhampur or in Jaipur which needs to be looked into.
It is pertinent to mention that world famous Sapphire mines of Kishtwar are vulnerable to open theft from Sapphire smugglers who smuggled this precious stone to different parts of the country as well as in different parts of the world. Situated at an altitude of over 14000 feet above sea level, Kishtwar Sapphire are covered with lofty and snowy mountains from Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and the Sapphire smugglers with the help of some locals visited these mines due to non availability of security at these mines --- transported it to different markets of the world. In past Kishtwar police arrested several local and outsider with Sapphire, but it required more efforts from the government to prevent these Sapphire mines from smugglers, beside took some concrete steps to explore the Sapphire mines having billions of dollars of Sapphire reserves. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
