J&K ACB booked then CEO, XEn, AEE of Manasbal Development Authority for misappropriation of funds

SRINAGAR, 21 March 2024: J&K Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case FIR No. 03/2024 under section 5(1) (d) r/w Section 5(2) J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006& section 120-B RPC at PS ACB Baramulla against Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan, then Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ahmad Baba, the then Executive Engineer and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh then Assistant Executive Engineer/Executive Engineer as well as beneficiary contractors namely Ghulam Nabi Mir S/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din R/o Treesa and Ghulam Nabi Bhat S/o Mohammad Maqbool Bhat R/o Safapora and others on account of misappropriation of Govt funds meant for various development works parks etcon the culmination of verification.

The verification conducted into matter revealed that Wullar Manasbal Development Authority executed about 23 number of civil works during the financial years 2016-17, 2017-18 & 2018-19. Out of which 18 works were tendered and in 15 works, huge illegal & fraudulent extensions were granted ranging from 44% to 218% by the then Chief Executive Officer Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan in brazen violation of laid down norms by gross abuse of official position & authority as same was beyond competence of the officer.

The verification conducted further revealed that five works were illegally & fraudulently executed on approval basis, even without inviting tenders by the then Chief Executive Officer namely Zulfiqar Mohammad Khan and then Executive Engineers, Wullar Manasbal Development Authority, Bashir Ahmad Baba and Zahoor Ahmad Sheikh AEE during the period 2016-2019.

The accused persons not only granted illegal/fraudulent extensions in these works but also raised& provided huge exorbitant rates to contractors on various items utilized in these works during execution of works which was also in grave violation of lid down norms in vogue.

During the course of preliminary probe the experts from Engineering wing of ACB Kashmir conducted spot inspection of the works executed by the accused public servants and scrutinized the record on the basis of which the loss caused was computed & liabilities of the officers fixed. The acts of omission & commission on part of the accused public servants in connivance and conspiracy with private beneficiaries (contractors) led to huge loss to state exchequer and commensurate undue pecuniary benefits upon the contractors.

Immediately after the registration of FIR, House search warrants in respect of accused public servants were issued by the Court of Spl Judge Anti Corruption Baramulla and in pursuance to House search warrants, the ACB conducted searches in multiple locations simultaneously belonging to accused persons at Rhematabad Colony Hyderpora, Malik Masjid Soura, Sabzi Mandi Soura and Durpora Mangiam Ganderbal in presence of respective jurisdictional Magistrates. The searches were conducted meticulously, in accordance with legal/laid down/ procedure, to gather evidence linked with the investigation of the case. During the course of searches various incriminating documents have been recovered .

Further investigations of the case are going on.