Srinagar, Jan 02: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has busted a major job scam in Fire & Emergency Services Department.
Probe has revealed that 109 candidates, who secured lower marks than the cutoff in the job test for the Fire & Emergency Services in 2020, were selected in gross violation of norms.
“Out of 690 selected candidates, 109 were found to have secured lower marks than the cutoff marks but were selected by showing them to have secured higher marks in the final selection list than the marks secured by them. For instance, candidates securing 11, 17, and 24 marks were shown to have secured 90 marks each in the final selection list. Similarly, it was found that five real brothers from district Budgam were selected and multiple such instances, besides, the selection of some relatives of officials of the F&ES Department, and the instances of the selected candidates belonging to the same localities have surfaced during inquiry,” ACB said.
The ACB also found that five real brothers from Budgam district, along with relatives of officials from the Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Department and candidates from the same localities, figured in the selection list.
In a statement, the ACB said that a manual review of the OMR sheets vis-a-vis answer keys revealed discrepancies in the selection process.
The ACB said it found that five real brothers from district Budgam were selected and multiple such instances, besides, the selection of some relatives of officials of the Fire &Emergency Services Department, and the instances of the selected candidates belonging to the same localities have surfaced during inquiry.
According to the ACB, during the probe, the question papers were found beyond the comprehension of candidates who have studied up to the 8th standard which is the required minimum qualification.
“By acting in this manner, the then members of Departmental Recruitment Board, members of Technical Committee, Officers/Officials of the F&ES Department, who remained associated with the recruitment process, being in league with each other as well as with LMES IT LLP through its main partner Maharaj Krishan Wali abused their official positions for extraneous considerations whereby they awarded work of TRP in an illegal and unjustified manner, besides manipulated the selection list by preparing fake / fabricated record to confer undue benefits upon themselves and the beneficiaries,” ACB said.
“The facts constitute the commission of offenses punishable under sections 7, 13(1) (a) & 13 (2) of PC Act 1988 (as Amended in 2018) and 120-B, 420, 467, 468 & 471 IPC, against the members of Departmental Recruitment Board, including the Chairmen, Members of the Technical Committee, officers/officials of F&ES department, who remained associated with the recruitment process, M/S LMES IT LLP through its main partner Maharaj Krishan Wali, beneficiaries & others. Consequently, a case FIR No 01/2025 was registered in Police Station ACB Central.”