Drawal of payments against fictitious bills
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 20: Additional Sessions Judge Anticorruption Doda Amarjeet Singh Langeh today rejected the bail application of Junior Engineer Tarun Gupta and 13 other persons namely Khalid Najeeb , Shafqat Hussain, Naseer Rashid, Amit Kumar, Akhter Hussain, Tanveer Ahmad Shah , Nelofar Akhter, Mansoor Hussain, Abdul Rehman, Sajad Ahmad, Abdul Majid, Rahila Parveen and Fareed Ahmad Natoo, who were booked by the ACB for drawal of payments against fictitious bills for non-existent works in Block Dali of Udhyanpur area of Doda.
“Even the cursory look upon the investigation carried out thus far would throw up a disturbing pattern as to how payments were drawn in the case in question against fictitious and inflated bills. Not only this, payments were also said to have been drawn for non-existent works in block Beli Udhyanpur in district Doda with effect from 2014 to 2018”, the court said.
“Investigation also reveals that a loss to the tune of Rs 1875307 has been found to have been inflicted upon state exchequer in the process. These are grave and profoundly serious allegations of corruption, forgery of valuable security, forgery for purpose of cheating and using as genuine a forged document knowingly-against petitioners in addition to the charge of conspiracy”, the court said, adding “it needs to be noted that offences alleged in case in hand against the petitioners under the Prevention of Corruption Act are non bailable in nature”.
“Similarly, offences under Sections 467 & 468 of RPC are also non bailable. In absence of any allegation of being hounded up by petitioners, grant of bail to them in anticipation of arrest, on facts-would overwhelmingly tantamount to thwarting the course of investigation, a path/choice that would be contrary to the central tenet of legislative mandate that investigation is a province which his wholly reserved for investigating agency”, the court said.
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