Court awards one year imprisonment to CAO in recruitment scam in Agriculture Dept

26/07/2019

JAMMU, JULY 25: Special Judge Anticorruption Kashmir RN Watta today awarded one year imprisonment to Gh. Mohi-u-Din Koul then Chief Agriculture Officer and Abdul Samad Khan in recruitment Scam in Agriculture Dept.
Accordingt o the charge sheet owes its origin to a complaint of additional secretary to Government Agriculture Production Department vide no. AGRI/MISC/AS(K)-97 dated 1.7.97 addressed to Commissioner Vigilance Organization Kashmir (VOK) against the then Chief Agriculture Officer Srinagar Gh.Mohidin-Koul revealing therein that delinquent officer issued orders of appointment/Engagement of daily rated workers in violation of the Government SRO 64 dated 24.3.94 and Government order no. 26-F dated 31.1.94 with the help of Abdul Rashid Junior Assistant and Abdul Samad Khan Senior Assistant of the Agriculture department and these appointment orders were issued when accused CAO was to retire in the month of April 97 indicating his maladies intentions resulting in loss to government exchequer. Accordingly investigation in the matter was taken up, relevant records were seized statement of witness were recorded and investigation concluded with the finding that accused Ghulam Mohideen Koul the then Chief agriculture Officer (CAO) Srinagar issued engagement orders in respect of 32 casual labors who were latter on disengaged by director. It also revealed that accused Ghulam Mohideen Koul in active connivance with Abdul Rashid Bhat Junior assistant issued more appointment orders in respect of Jafar Iqbal, Ghulam Mohd Bhat, Ali Mohd Mir, Miss Gousia Jan, Shiraz Ahmed, Miss Musrat Qazi, Miss Gowhar Nissa without adhering to the official procedures and in flagrant violation of rules and regulations, it further revealed that accused issued appointment orders in respect of Zohoor Ahmed Gujari, Riyaz Ahmed Shah, Bilal Ahmed Mir and Shabbir Ahmed, in violation of rules with active support of accused Abdul Samad khan Senior Assistant, it further revealed that accused no 2 and 3, in the charge sheet initiated the appointment orders without routing the file through Section Officer (S.O).
During investigation admitted and questioned signatures of the accused were sent to FSL and positive reports about their similarity were received. Primafaciely offences under section 5(2) PC act, r/w Section 120B RPC were proved against accused G.M. Koul,,Abdul Rashid Pandit and Abdul Samad Khan for having illegally appointed 11 persons, hatching conspiracy in violation of rules and regulations.
Special Judge Anticorruption Kashmir RN Wattal after hearing CPO Gh. Jeelani assisted by Riaz Ahmed Sr PO for the Anticorruption Bureau observed that "Corruption is indeed one of the major roadblocks in the economic development of our state. There is an urgent need to have a comprehensive framework that would help curtail corruption. Rigid bureaucracy, complex laws and legal procedures deters people from taking legal recourse against corrupt public servants.
Corruption needs to be eradicated from the state. Task is arduous but not unachievable. To achieve that, one has to rise above his vainglorious interest and to raise his moral standards. Public persons need to resist to such illegitimate insistence and rather should act as whistle blowers. Only with collective efforts, corruption can be eradicated."
With these observations, Court ordered that the Convict Gulam Mohi-din Koul is sentenced to Simple Imprisonment for one year and fine of Rs.2,00,000/- in default thereof he would undergo Simple imprisonment for a further period of one month under 5(2) of prevention of corruption act; Simple Imprisonment six months and fine of Rs.10,000, in default thereof he would undergo Simple Imprisonment for a further period of one month under 120-B of RPC and convict Abdul Samad Kan is sentenced to Simple Imprisonment for one year and fine of Rs.,20,000/ in default thereof he would undergo Simple imprisonment for a further period of one month under 5(2) of prevention of corruption act; Simple Imprisonment of six months and fine of Rs.10,000, in default thereof he would undergo Simple Imprisonment for a further period of one month under 120- B of RPC. JNF

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