 Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 23: Even as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) recently produced a charge sheet against three persons including former chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Bank for sanctioning Rs 250 crore loan to a non-existent cooperative housing society two years ago, the development has vindicated the investigative reporting of the Early Times.
Over a year ago, on July 22, 2019, the Early Times in its exclusive report was the first and only newspaper to expose that a major fraud had taken place in the establishment of a colony near the high security Badami Bagh in Srinagar, for which the multi crore loan was grabbed.
Titled “Most-secured site for Pandit colony in Srinagar taken over by influential!”, in the report, the displaced community had sought intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also demanded a probe.
This newspaper had reported that “Even as New Delhi looks ahead for return of displaced Pandit community to their homeland in Kashmir, a prime chunk of land measuring around 300 kanals, Dhar Bagh, owned by a Kashmiri Pandit family next to the high security Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, has been ‘taken over a influential lobby of Kashmiris’ who announced that a township would be constructed there.”
In the report, the experts had said that given the massive urbanization of Srinagar, this was the only chunk of secured land left in the city that could be safely used for construction of the Pandit colony as it lies next to “the most secure Army cantonment.”
The role of administration in allowing the land deal had also come under scanner.
On August 11, 2020, the ACB produced a charge sheet against three trio accused. It was vindication of the news report by the Early Times. “The ACB filed a charge sheet against Mohammad Shafi Dar, the then chairman of J&K State Cooperative Bank Limited (JKSTCB), Hilal Ahmad Mir, chairman of non-existent River Jhelum Cooperative House Building Society, Srinagar and Abdul Hamid Hajam, secretary of the non-existent River Jhelum Cooperative House Building Society, Srinagar,” a spokesperson of the anti-graft body said.
The ACB registered a case against Dar and others under various sections of prevention of corruption act for allegedly sanctioning a loan to the tune of Rs 250 crore in favour of the non-existent society for the purpose of construction of a satellite township at Shivpora locality in Srinagar bypassing the credit policy of the bank and on the basis of false and fabricated documents.
The ACB investigation revealed that a conspiracy was hatched between Dar, Mir, Hajam, Mohd Mujib Ur Rehman Ghasi, the then registrar of cooperative societies, J&K, Syed Ashiq Hussain, deputy registrar cooperative societies and others in creating the fake society in 2018-19 in order to obtain a loan from the bank.
As always the Early Times stands committed to the cause of professional journalism, especially in fighting corruption and to give a befitting reply to anti-national forces even at the cost of our lives. While Early Times already faces threat from terror outfits, we will continue to report the truth. |
