Agencies
New Delhi, Jan 2: The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the IAS officials for their alleged involvement in issuing arms licenses fraudulently in Jammu and Kashmir, has expanded its investigation to include a few senior home department officials under the scanner. Sources claim that apart from the then district-level officials, senior home department officials (2012-16) of the J&K government are now being probed by the CBI.
Agency sources claim that the racket operated at two levels - district level and also at home department level. A few officials of the home department have been called in for questioning by the CBI.
According to the probe agency, using a loophole in the licensing law that allowed retired or serving army jawans of the state to get licenses only on recommendation letters of their commanding officers, several fake and fictitious letters were created. Licenses were sold at a cost of Rs 10 to 12 lakh. In a few cases, two or three weapons were issued on the same license.
Senior officials claim that the involvement of gun-running cartels cannot be ruled out. In most of the cases, people from MP, Maharashtra, Punjab and Delhi managed to get all India licenses on fake certificates. Districts which issued maximum fake licenses include Kupwara, Baramulla and Pulwama.
Earlier, in its first major operation since acquiring the original jurisdiction to act against corruption after the reorganisation of J&K as Union Territory, the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted raids at 13 locations. The raids were conducted by the CBI at multiple places in Srinagar, Jammu, Gurgaon and Noida at the premises of then DC/DM Kupwara, Barmula, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Sopian, Rajouri, Doda, Pulwama and other places.
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The operation by CBI was conducted in connection with two cases related to allegations of issuance of around 2 lakh arms licences from different districts of Jammu & Kashmir by their respective DC/DM. "It was also alleged that the then public servants, in this conspiracy of issuance of licences to non-residents of J&K in violation of rules, allegedly received gratification," said the CBI.
The searches were conducted at the residential and other premises linked Rajeev Ranjan, IAS 2010, DC Kupwara (former); Yasha Mudgil, IAS 2007, DM Baramulla Udhampur (former); Itrat Hussain, DM Kupwara (former); Salim Mohammad, DM Kshitwar, (former); Mohd Javed Khan, DM Kshitwar, (former); SC Bhagat, DM Rajouri (former); Farooq Ahmed Khan, DM Doda and Jehangir Ahmed Mir, DM Pulwama (former).
Rajeev Ranjan, 2010 batch IAS officer is currently serving with the Metro Rail Corporation, Jammu and Yasha Mudgil is currently serving as Managing Director of Jammu Power Distribution Corporation, Jammu.
During the raids, the CBI had recovered incriminating evidence including documents pertaining to the case.
This is the first major operation by the CBI after scrapping of article 370 and recognition of J&K as a Union Territory. Sources say that the officials were paid a bribe in exchange for approving and granting the licenses to non-residents of J&K.
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