Sumit Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 27: CBI Jammu conducted raids at the office premises of four Non Governmental Organization (NGOs), here on Friday running in the namely and style of M/s National Institute of Education and Technical Art at Pamposh Colony (President Tripta Kumari), M/s Social Action for Social Development at Tara Vihar Palora (Aruna Rawat), M/s New Women Development Society at Shopping Centre Bakshi Nagar Jammu and M/s Bandana Welfare Society at Shopping Centre Bakshi Nagar Jammu (President Davinder Kumar). The raids were conducted under the supervision of Desh Deepak, SSP CBI Jammu, Inspector Om Parkash, Inspector BB Sharma and Insp Harish Singh, all CBI Jammu, in assistance with civil witnesses and lady police officials.
The raids were conducted after CBI received number of complaints of embezzlement of Government of India (GOI) funds worth lakhs of rupees as for the last six months, CBI ACB Jammu registered at least 4 FIRs against various NGOs and senior officers of Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India for siphoning off Central Government Funds meant for poor artisans in Jammu Province.
The scrutiny of the seized documents was in progress, till last reports poured in.
Meanwhile, Zaheer Abass Bhatti @ Z.A Bhatti, a peon turned millionaire who was arrested by CBI in December 2014 for swindling of government funds amounting to Rs 75 lacs meant for the poor artisans in the Rajouri district, was again remanded to CBI custody by Special Judge, Anti Corruption CBI Jammu, Sudesh Sharma.
Z A Bhatti was initially arrested by CBI ACB Jammu Branch in case FIR No 6/2014 P/s CBI ACB Jammu registered U/s 120-B, 420/467/468/471 RPC. After remaining in CBI custody for four days, he was granted interim bail by the High Court Jammu. On 20th of this month, High Court directed him to approach the CBI Court Jammu for his absolute bail, which was rejected and he was sent to seven days police custody.
Pertinently, in June 2014, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case against the politician and Chairman cum MD and Secretary of two NGOs M/s National Foundation and M/s United National Handicrafts (Federation) Z A Bhatti and GOI officials, V K Sarita, V K Mahajan, Maya Devi, KK Sharma and Som Nath who remained Assistant Directors (Marketing & Service) from 2005 to 2013 in Jammu and Udhampur offices of Ministry of Textiles, under FIR No. 06/2014 U/s 120-B r/w 420 467 and Section 5(2) r/w 5(1)(d) of J&K PC Act on 17-11-2014 for misrepresentation of facts, forgery, misappropriation of government funds in undertaking different training schemes/programmes and workshops of department of Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India to be executed in different villages in Rajouri district.
Sources said the accused prepared fake bills, fake acquaintance rolls and fake utilization certificates etc without conducting training programmes on ground and caused a wrongful loss of about Rs 4 crore during past 10 years. The purpose of execution of these training programmes and workshops by Ministry of Textiles is to promote the treasures of Indian and local handicrafts in the state and to enhance productivity, earning capacity and the marketability of products of local artisans.
Sources said that soon after being arrested by the CBI in June this year Bhatti during questioning confessed that he in connivance with the GOI officials had misappropriated crores of rupees meant for the poor people. He was granted interim bail by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court after remaining in CBI custody for 10-days. Sources said Z A Bhatti, who was once a peon in Government school at Rajouri, at present is a millionaire and owns palatial bungalows at Bathindi in Jammu, Sonwar in Srinagar and Punjab besides other business establishments.
Bhatti contested the elections against the former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi from Chandni Chowk in New Delhi unsuccessfully and the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah from Sonwar.
Sources said Bhatti having political connections with JK based MPs and Union Ministers was helped by them to procure funds in the name of his so called NGOs and allegedly managed to embezzle huge money by greasing the palms of the GOI officials.
Sources said that soon after the scandal came to fore the accused tried to pressurize the CBI officers but couldn't succeed and is all set to face the music. The case is being investigated by Muhammad Rafiq, DySP CBI Jammu.
It merits a mention that the CAG in its report on the Union government's finances tabled in Parliament in 2012 had found that two indolent Ministries i.e. Ministries of textiles and Heavy industries spent 63% and 60% of the annual expenditure on the last day of the fiscal year. |
