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| Govt gathers some strength to face opposition | | Forest Scam: sanction sought for prosecution of IFS officer | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Jan 20
When the legislative assembly meets on Tuesday after three days' break, the government will be under fire from the opposition on forest department scam. National Conference had been demanding the Kundal committee report but the government has been dragging feet.
Sensing trouble on Tuesday, the government has got itself armed with some elements of defence to pacify the opposition. Even though the National Conference is more particular about the involvement of two ministers in the forest scam but as part of some damage control mechanism, the government has written to the Central government for sanction for prosecution of sacked MD of State Forest Corporation.
It is learnt that the government has approached the Centre for granting sanction to prosecute a former Managing Director of State Forest Corporation for allegedly possessing an American Passport and suppressing this fact while applying for an Indian travel document.
The investigations against Aijaz Ahmed Bhat, an Indian Forest Services officer, have been completed and before chargesheeting him in the court, a sanction for prosecution is required from the Centre's Department of Personnel, official sources said.
Bhat, who may have to face a probe from the United States as well, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on September 19 last year after he was suspended from his post
The official was also questioned by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation after the American Mission was informed by the state authorities about his arrest under the Indian Passport Act for allegedly suppressing information about his US citizenship while applying for an Indian travel document.
Bhat has also been slapped with some more charges, including violation of Foreigners Act and Immigration Act, as he had given a wrong address on disembarkation card during his travel from the US in May last year.
Bhat, who was relieved of his charge by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad following certain allegations, had travelled on a US passport in May and mentioned his address as "H-43; Kalkaji, New Delhi" on his disembarkation card. The address was later found to be fake, the sources said.
Bhat had allegedly violated the Foreigners Act by entering Jammu and Kashmir without an "inner line permit", as required by every foreign national.
According to the rules, Bhat was a foreign national as he had used his US passport during his last entry into India.
The appointment of Bhat, done during the tenure of state's the then Forest and Environment Minister Tariq Ahmed Qarra, had also raised certain eyebrows as he was put in charge of SFC despite the fact that he had been on leave without pay and alleged unauthorised absence from duty for several years.
Bhat's sacking as Managing Director was followed by stripping of the forest portfolio of senior PDP minister Qazi Afzal, who took charge of the department after Qarra.
However, Afzal got back his portfolio recently after the PDP complained to the Congress high command.
The Chief Minister had also appointed a one-man commission, headed by Chief Secretary B R Kundal, who was the then Home Secretary of the state.
In its report, the commission claimed that Bhat had held four names - Ajaz Ahmed, Aizaz Ahmed Bhat, Ajaz Ahmed Bhat and Ajaz Bhat - and mentioned six addresses, two each in Srinagar, Delhi and United States, in various correspondences. The addresses in Delhi and the US were fake.
Bhat, having Indian and American citizenship, used to travel on two passports, Indian and American. During his nearly three decades of service, he remained on leave for almost 10 years. |
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