Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 29: The State Vigilance Organization (SVO), Kashmir today produced supplementary challan in the biggest embezzlement scam against remaining 14 accused officers and officials of Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd for embezzling Rs 22 crores from the accounts of Collector Land Acquisition Pulwama out of funds meant for compensation to the land owners for four laning of National Highway.
Official sources said the sanction for launching prosecution against 14 officers and officials of J&K Bank was finally accorded by Chairman J&K Bank to the investigating agency. Accordingly, the supplementary challan (final report) under Section 173 CrPC was produced before the Court of Special Judge Anti Corruption Pulwama presided by Haq Nawaz Zargar today.
A case FIR No 37/2010 under Section 5(1) (c), 5(1) (d), 5(2) J&K Prevention of Corruption Act 2006 read with Sections 120-B, 409, 468 and 471 RPC was registered in police station Vigilance Organization Kashmir on November 8, 2010 after the Government of J&K directed the investigation of the case to be taken up by State Vigilance Organization Kashmir. The case was initially investigated by Awantipora police station through FIR No 174/2010 on October 5, 2010.
The investigation of the case was conducted by a Special Investigating Team headed by the Superintendent of Police Anantnag-Baramulla-Pulwama, Vigilance Organization, Kashmir which was concluded as proved against 75 accused persons including the then Collector Land Acquisition/ADC Pulwama and officers and officials of J&K Bank Business units Lethpora and Awantipora.
Investigation conducted by the SVO revealed that the accused Collector Land Acquisition/ADC Pulwama namely Adil Rashid Naqash, accused Land Acquisition Clerk (LAC) of DC office Pulwama namely Parvez Indrabi, officers and officials of J&K Bank Awantipora and Lethpora including then Branch Head of J&K Bank Lethpora in league with the private accused persons Farukh Jahanzeb alias Rinku S/o Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat alias Mahi Pandit R/o Awantipora, Showkat Ahmad Dar and others hatched a conspiracy and in league with each other managed to embezzle Rs. 22,11,89,400/- from the official accounts of Collector Land Acquisition Pulwama illegally opened in business unit Lethpora of J&K Bank over a period of 18 months with full knowledge and active connivance between them.
The money was initially transferred to the accounts of accused persons on the basis of fake and fraud authority letters and even without any authority where from the money was distributed between the accused conspirators or utilized for raising immovable assets.
The investigation of the case was finally concluded as proved against 75 accused persons including the officers and officials of Revenue Department and J&K Bank Business Unit Lethpora and Awantipora and the private accused persons and referred to the Government for accord of sanction.
After the Government accorded sanction for launching prosecution against the serving public servant, the challan of the case comprising of approximately 2000 pages was produced before the Court of Special Judge Anti Corruption Pulwama, presided by Haq Nawaz Zargar against 61 accused persons on April 28 this year out of whom one accused had expired already. In the meantime matter was taken up with the Chairman J&K Bank Limited for accord of sanction against 14 serving J&K Bank officers /officials.
The Sanction for launching prosecution against the 14 officers and officials of J&K Bank was finally accorded by Chairman J&K Bank to the investigating agency.
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