Disproportionate assets case against retired J&K officer: ACB produces chargesheet

Srinagar: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Srinagar has produced chargesheet against Bashir Ahmad Shah, a retired officer of the J&K Soil Conservation Department, accused of amassing wealth and property disproportionate to this known sources of income.

“The brief facts of the case are that a verification was conducted by the Anti Corruption Bureau Kashmir into the allegations that public servant namely Bashir Ahmad Shah then Forester presently posted as Zonal Soil Conservation officer (Soil Conservation department J&K) has amassed huge wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income,” the Bureau said in a statement.

Bashir Ahmad Shah, as per the statement, had purchased land (plot No.64) at Bagh-e-Mehtab Housing Colony Srinagar and another plot at Zubairabad Sujwan Road Jammu and has constructed two palatial house on the said plots.

“Verification has further revealed that the said Bashir Ahmad had amassed the property and incurred huge expenditure during the period 1980 to 2009 which has been found disproportionate to his known sources of income,” the statement read.

“The aforesaid omissions and commissions on the part of Bashir Ahmad Shah S/O Late Wali Mohd Shah R/O Garoora Bandipora presently residing at Zubairabad Sujwan Road Jammu, then forester department of Soil Conservation presently posted as Zonal Soil Conservation officer (Soil Conservation department J&K) Jammu lead to the registration of the instant case and investigation was taken up,” it added.

The assets discovered and attributed to the accused public servant are the house at Plot No. 64 Bagh-e-Mehtab Housing Colony, Srinagar, belonged to one Shri Jawahar Lal Bhan S/o Dr. M.L. Bhan R/o Diona New Delhi who had migrated out of valley after the eruption of militancy.  The accused public servant has purchased a plot (51X39.5 Sfts) measuring 07 marlas under khasra No.356/min situated at Zubair Abad Sujwan Bhathandi Jammu through a “tahreer Nama and Baian Halfi” dated 27.02.2007 from one Chowdary Zain ud Din S/O Haji Mohammad Zubair in the name of his second wife namely Rumysa.

“During investigation it surfaced that the accused has purchased two kanals of land from Abdul Gafar Sofi of Nawa Kadal at Chari sharief jointly with his father in-law in year 1996 and later on constructed a house in the said land jointly with his father in-law. During investigation land measuring one Kanal at village Charar–i-Sharief is recorded in the name of accused Bashir Ahmad Shah, where a two storyed residential house is existing in which the brother in law of the accused is residing.”

“On the strength of facts and circumstances, together with cogent and clinching evidence brought on record, the investigation has established the commission of offences U/S 5(1) (e) r/w 5(2) P C Act. Svt.2006 are made out against the said public servant against accused public servant Bashir Ahmad Shah S/O Late Wali Mohammad Shah then Forester Soil Conservation department (now retired). The accused public servant has retired on superannuation on 03.01.2019, as such the necessary sanction for launching of prosecution was required. Next date of hearing is fixed on 18.10.2021,” the statement added.