CBI files first corruption cases under IPC in J&K
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered the first couple of corruption cases under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act in the recently christened Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, against several Block Development Council officials.
The central agency has registered two separate cases based on the complaints of one Anchal Singh, who was awarded multiple contracts under the MGNREGA programme by the Mough Block in Rajouri District of Jammu.
The FIR alleges that Block officials started demanding exorbitant bribe amounts from Singh, in exchange for processing the file for payment under the programme for work already conducted.
The CBI has registered a case against Mushtaq Hussain, the Gram Rozgar Sahayak and Sandeep Singh, a Junior Engineer in the same Block under sections 120B of the IPC and Section 7 of the PC Act.
As per the established procedure, the Block Development Office, Mushtaq Ahmed was to provide the construction material as per cost estimates of Junior Engineer Sandeep Singh. However, Hussain was responsible for punching the job cards of labourers, verification of material bills, which would then be forwarded to the BDO for approval, after which the Accounts Department would disburse the final amount. But Hussain, when approached by the complainant, demanded a bribe of Rs 80,000 to process the paperwork required against payment of Rs 4 lakh, saying he needed to share the proceeds with the BDO and the JE.
Under duress, the complainant paid Rs 30,000 to Hussai inside an ATM on November 1, following which Rs 1.24 lakh was released into her accounts. But when she approached JE Singh, he again demanded a bribe of Rs 80,000, of which the complainant paid Rs 30,000 on November 2, again under duress.
However, when the complainant now went to the Accountant at the Block office, he also demanded a bribe of Rs 2,000 to push the paperwork through. The second case has been registered against Accountant Ashok Kumar.
This is the first case of corruption in the newly formed UT of Jammu and Kashmir, committed after the Indian Constitution was applied to the region.
