* SSP Rajouri orders inquiry on fresh complaint
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Aug 31: Food grain carriage scam worth over Rs 44 crore has rocked CAPD Department in district Rajouri as some officials at the helm of affairs including some Storekeepers and TSOs managed drawal worth crores on fraudulent papers on account of carriage charges.
While the Crime Branch of State Police which registered an FIR No. 11/ 2012 on the basis of a written complaint, the concerned investigation officials are said to be ‘sitting on’ the Inquiry report and the record seized for the last over 28 months now.
The dealers and a Labour Mate, on whose name fraudulent drawls worth crores have drawn by CAPD officials of Rajouri have filed a fresh complaint with the SSP Rajouri to investigate the matter and take legal action against the CAPD officials including Storekeepers, Tehsil Supply Officers, Clerks and others involved in the fraud. The record seized so far by the agencies and also in the possession of the ‘Excelsior’ has indicated a fraud worth over Rs 44 crore on account of fraudulent drawls of carriage charges in the district from 2009 onwards.
The scrutiny of the papers including cash book managed has indicated that large fraud has been committed in tehsils Rajouri, Kotranka, Manjakote and that too during the period between 2009 and 2011. Kewal Krishan was acting as Assistant Director during that period while names of other officials including TSO Abdul Rouf, Storekeeper Mohd Alias and Control Clerk Mohd Ashraf have mainly surfaced in the scandal during that period.
Interestingly, the daring officials have made fraudulent drawls worth crores on the name of Rajouri city dealers showing their location about 30 to 40 kms away from Rajouri station. Their depots were shown at Rachhwa, some at Dramiyani Gali or Doongi, Garati, Tarkundi etc. to secure lakhs of carriage money to fill their own coffers while, the actual dealers did not get even single penny. The local dealers must have received just meager carriage amount.
It has been established that at page No. 86, serial No. 17 of cash book, on the name of dealer Anil Kumar from Dhanwa- Rajouri, an amount of Rs 24,880 has been drawn by showing him as dealer from Rachhwa which is over 30 kms away. Again at page No. 8 serial 34 dealer Tahir Zaman of city has been shown dealer of Rachhwa and an amount of Rs 57,561 has been drawn fraudulently against his name. Again on the name of Dharam Paul dealer who is not alive, at page no. 14, 16 and 19 of cash book an amount of Rs 4.55 lakh has shown withdrawn on his name.
On the name of city dealer Tahir Sajjad Rs 81,240 has been withdrawn showing him dealer of Rachhwa where only one depot existed. Again, interestingly, at Tarkundi hamlet just closer to LoC in Gambir area, which is part of Balakote in Poonch, fraudulent drawls worth lakhs have surfaced. On the name of city dealer Rafiq, carriage amount worth lakhs has shown drawn from Jamola village, about 35 kms away. On the name of city dealer Rakesh Kumar, amount worth lakhs has been drawn from Garati area about 40 km away. On the name of dealer Sanjeev Kumar at page No. 43 serial No. 88, an amount of Rs 2,12,048 lakh has been drawn from Ponthal which is also far away from Rajouri.
This is just a tip of an iceberg and only in Tehsil Rajouri, the scam has touched Rs 9 to 10 crore while, in Kotranka-Budhal, Darhal, Thannamandi, Kalakote and Nowshera, the scam may cross over rupees fifty crore. Same practice is prevailing in Doda, Kishtwar, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Kathua, Reasi, Ramban and other parts of the State. The documents seized by the agencies and also earlier scrutinized by the department has established that carriage amount of nearly Rs 44 crore has been siphoned out fraudulently by the officials from the Government Treasury.
The fresh startling disclosures were made in yet another written complaint, with supporting documents lodged with the Rajouri Police by some city and adjoining areas dealers and others, who alleged that amount worth crores was siphoned out from the Government Treasury on account of carriage charges by some CAPD officials of Rajouri on their name by making fake signs. One Sameer Khan working as Labour Mate at the Rajouri CAPD store in an affidavit No. 1848 dated 23-8-2014 to the SSP Rajouri has submitted that he is working on the pay of just Rs 2700 per month. On his name Rs 7.86 lakh has been drawn by the TSO, Storekeeper and the dealing clerk by forging his signatures. He denied having received any amount. They demanded fresh inquiry into the matter and maintained that Crime Branch officials have done nothing in this connection so far and even challan could not be filed in the case.
A fresh complaint was also submitted to the Director CAPD Jammu on the same day, seeking thorough probe into the matter but departmental action is awaited.
SSP Rajouri, Mubassar Lattiffi when contacted said that he has received a complaint regarding fraudulent drawls on account of food grain carriage charges worth lakhs by CAPD officials of Rajouri. He said one of the class –IV worker has also given undertaking that amount worth over Rs 7 lakhs has been drawn from Govt Treasury on fraudulent papers by forging his signatures by TSO, Storekeeper and Controller Clerk. He has also mentioned the names of the accused officials in the complaint.
The SSP while responding to question said that this fraud of large magnitude is not possible without the connivance of senior CAPD officials in the district. He said that Additional SP Rajouri, Shiv Kumar Chouhan has been directed to conduct detailed inquiry into the matter and seize record and cash book. The Police team has visited the office of AD Rajouri and TSO twice, they are claiming that their record has been seized by Crime Branch team after an FIR was lodged in 2012. “We have sought written reply from them and in case the record is really lying with the Crime Branch, we will approach them to get the record from them for investigation. Since a fresh complaint has been received, a fresh probe will be conducted and this complaint can be combined with the previous one.”
The SSP said about one year back Rs One crore cash of CAPD was seized by Rajouri police. Two officials were also detained and with the intervention of the then DC and Deputy Director CAPD the amount was handed over to them for internal inquiry by department. In fact it was Rs 2 crore and the officials said that by mistake they had taken extra amount with them. What happened to that departmental inquiry no body knows.
Director CAPD Jammu, G S Chib when asked about any such fresh complaint received from Rajouri expressed ignorance over the matter. He said that he would inquiry about it from the officers from his department and also Assistant Director, Rajouri Kewal Krishan. He said that on earlier occasion when cash was seized by police at Rajouri from CAPD officials, the inquiry was initiated and some recovery was made from the officials. He said that old inquiry regarding carriage charges is being initiated by Crime Branch Jammu and fate of probe is known to only CB officials. One DySP Abdul Wahid Giri was conducting probe into the matter. When asked about the inquiry against TSO Kotranka Mohd Riaz who was attached few months back, the Director said he has been reinstated after Joint Director CAPD gave him clean chit. Basically he was teacher in Govt department and came here in CAPD on deputation about ten years back. He was clerk and has been promoted as TSO in CAPD. His seniority was supposed to be fixed by Education Department. By default he is working on this post. Now, the department has written to the GAD that his services are not required here and he is being repatriated to his parent department.
Assistant Director Rajouri, however, said that he was posted as AD during 2009-2011 in Rajouri. He also admitted that there were nearly 68 depots in tehsil Rajouri. He said the then Crime Branch had seized record and started investigation into the matter. They have also identified the officials concerned and the excess amount has also been worked out. He said the then Director CAPD Parvez Malik had ordered inquiry and Dy Director Deep Raj conducted the probe. About Rs one crore extra drawn was also recovered from some erring officials. He denied having any other departmental action taken against them.
Interestingly, despite scams after scams the officials of CAPD manage things at every level. Since 2009 nobody has been punished so far while public money wroth over Rs 44 crore has been siphoned out from the Government Treasury. Some officials with political patronage are surviving. The then TSO Ghulam Rasool Rajouri who had initially pointed out excess carriage of seven months drawn by some officials during 2009-10 worth Rs 49.98 lakh was shifted within one month by the influential officials at Rajouri with full political backing.
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