ACB conducts searches
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 3: Anti Corruption Bureau has registered case against the officers/ officials of ARTO office Anantnag for allowing touts and agents for preparing driving license and other documents in lieu of bribe.
Besides registering a case FIR, searches were also conducted at the residences of ARTO, Motor Vehicle Inspectors, some touts and agents from where various incriminating documents were seized.
The case was registered after a Joint Surprise Check was conducted by ACB, to look into allegations that many touts and agents are operating in ARTO Office Anantnag in league with the Officials of ARTO office for preparation of registration and fitness certificates for heavy commercial vehicles, issuing driving licenses etc in lieu of bribe.
During the surprise check conducted on the driving trial test day, it was found that most of application forms for issuance of driving licenses were having pencil written codes found to be abbreviations of names of some touts/agents operating in league with the Board members of ARTO office Anantnag, who actively influence the working of ARTO office Anantnag. More over some applicants who appeared for driving test revealed that they had paid bribe for issuance of driving licenses through agents/ touts for Board members of ARTO Office Anantnag.
Click here to watch video
It was found that the Officer/ Officials of ARTO office Anantnag, for their ulterior motives were conducting both driving test trials and fitness test of vehicle in hasty manner just to accommodate the applicants recommend by touts/agents. In addition, social, networking chats have been found amongst the touts and ARTO Officials wherein candidate application numbers alongwith the name of touts have been forwarded to the officials for issuance of certificate/licenses.
Accordingly, case FIR number 4/2021 was registered in ACB Police Station Anantnag against the Officers/officials of ARTO office Anantnag and the touts/ agents.
During investigation, search warrants were obtained from the Anticorruption court Anantnag and searches conducted, at the residences of ARTO Shabir Ahmad, Motor Vehicle Inspectors Shahid Mehboob, Manzoor Ahmad and Asif Amin. Moreover, the residential houses/ shops of touts/ agents, namely Khalid Hakim, Mubarak Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad, Aijaz Wagey, Nadeem Ahmad of Nadeem Photostat, Farooq Mir of Nazrana Photostat were also searched. During searches various incriminating documents were seized. Further investigation of the case is going on.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
