| Govt rejects report, orders fresh inquiry against Junior Engineer | | 2021 Graft Case | | Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 5: The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a fresh departmental inquiry against a Junior Engineer arrested in a 2021 corruption case, after the Competent Authority rejected the findings of an earlier inquiry report.
The engineer, Arshad Amin, a resident of Thathri in Doda district, was arrested under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in FIR No. 06/2021 registered at Police Station ACB (Central), Jammu. At the time, he was posted as Junior Engineer (REW) at the BDO Office Changa in Tehsil Gandoh, Doda.
According to a Government Order accessed by news agency JKNS, the Public Works (R&B) Department decided on a fresh inquiry after the Competent Authority set aside the findings of the earlier probe conducted by the Assistant Commissioner (Development), Kishtwar.
That inquiry had been initiated by the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (DRD&PR) Department, which served a charge memorandum on Amin after finding his statement of defence unsatisfactory. On examining the resulting report, the department noted "various shortcomings" and sought clarifications from the Inquiry Officer.
The General Administration Department had already accorded sanction for Amin's prosecution in June 2023 and recommended the case to the DRD&PR Department under Rule 31 of the J&K Civil Service (CC&A) Rules, 1956.
After going through records shared by the DRD&PR Department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the PW(R&B) Department concluded that the engineer was guilty of gross misconduct. It also noted, however, that the power to initiate regular departmental action lay with the PW(R&B) Department as the appointing authority.
The government has now sanctioned simultaneous regular departmental action against Amin on a post-facto basis, adopting the charge memorandum already served on him by the DRD&PR Department.
Er. Shivangi Gupta, In-Charge Superintendent Engineer, PMGSY Batote, has been appointed Inquiry Officer, while Er. Suresh Bharti, In-Charge Executive Engineer, RDD Doda, will serve as Presenting Officer. The Inquiry Officer has been directed to submit the report, with clear-cut recommendations, within one month in accordance with CVC guidelines.
The order further states that the transfer of either the Inquiry Officer or the Presenting Officer will not affect the proceedings, and that the designated officers must finalize the report within the prescribed timeline. |
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