Senior politician was pitching for Peer as VC of a varsity

Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, Nov 22: As the Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir police today seized two bank accounts of the former chairman of Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE), Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, sources say a senior politician who is his Godfather was pitching for him as Vice Chancellor of Islamic University of Science and Technology.
Sources say that two bank accounts of Peer, one with the Jammu and Kashmir Bank where he has Rs 14 lakh and another with the HDFC Bank where he has Rs 4 lakh, were seized today by the Crime Branch.
Peer was questioned by the Crime Branch sleuths for third consecutive day and noose around him is getting tightened. He was picked up again today and grilled the Crime Branch Headquarters.
Sources said Peer will be picked up for fourth day tomorrow for questioning. “Crime Branch has got vital clues about the scam during past three days but they want to dig in more before his arrest”, they added.
Crime Branch sources said that Peer is the prime accused in the Common Entrance Test (CET) – 2012 scam during which he has at least helped 30 candidates to get admission in MBBS course in various Medical Colleges of the State and other professional courses.
Crime Branch sources say that the beneficiaries of Scam include the candidates belonging to the politically well connected families.  However, so far out of 12 beneficiaries who have been traced out by Crime Branch none of them belongs to politically connected family but have paid huge amounts to Peer and his cohorts.
Sources say that Peer, who is politically well connected was aspiring for Vice Chancellor to Islamic University of Science and Technology. He was re-employed as consultant of the Service Selection Board (SSB) last and his contract was terminated by the Government this week after crime Branch raided his residences.
Peer was appointed as head of the BOPEE for his political connections and was given two months extension even after State Cabinet appointed his successor on June 20, 2012. But his successor acted as Officer on Special Duty for two months before he took over as the chairman of the BOPEE.
Sources say that Peer was also involved in Computer scam in year 2002 in Kashmir University. The then Vice Chancellor of the Kashmir University, Jalees Tareen Khan had initiated investigations into the scam but the investigations were left out half way as his political masters played a vital role to save Peer.