J&K govt sacks senior prosecuting officer after bribe charge

Jammu, Nov 28 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday sacked a senior prosecuting officer for allegedly taking Rs 2 lakh in bribe to help a person not get arrayed as an accused in a murder case in Rajouri district.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Raj Kumar Goyal issued an order for the dismissal of Senior Prosecuting Officer Aijaz-ul-Hassan.

Aijaz-ul-Hassan, who was posted in the court of judicial magistrate at Thanamandi, demanded and accepted Rs 2 lakh as a bribe from Moulvi Mushtaq Ahmad of Kotranka, the order alleged.
Haan helped Ahmad, in connivance with Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Mohammad Shabeer, Reader (associated with the investigation of the case), in not getting arrayed as an accused in a case of murder registered in 2014 it is alleged.

Charges were framed against the officer by the home department and the competent authority held him guilty and approved his dismissal from services.

“In terms of Rule 30(viii) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, Aijaz-Ul-Hassan, Senior Prosecuting Officer is dismissed from service, with immediate effect, which will also disqualify him from future employment”, ACS (Home) Raj Kumar Goyal said in the order.

The officer has failed to maintain absolute integrity and acted in a manner unbecoming of a government employee, thereby violating the provisions contained in J&K Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971, he said.

“The said act on the part of the officer is a violation of Rule 3 of J&K Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971. The delinquent officer submitted his response to the charge sheet.
The response submitted by the officer was found unsatisfactory and accordingly, an inquiry was initiated against him, the order said.

The report of the inquiry was placed before the Competent Authority, which approved the report and directed the imposition of a penalty – dismissal from service from the State.