Srinagar, Oct 14 The Special Crime Wing (SCW) of the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against three public servants in an alleged fraud and corruption case, officials said.
The SCW Kashmir presented a chargesheet in a case registered under relevant sections of the Ranbir Penal Code and 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, before the Court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Srinagar, against three accused, they said.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Rashid Gojri, Helper in Beerwah Sub-Divisional Agriculture Office; Manzoor Ahmad Wani, Section Officer in the office of Budgam Chief Agriculture Officer; and Peer Abdul Rashid, retired Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDAO).
The officials said the case originated from a communication dated February 15, 2022 received from the Deputy Director Agriculture, Central Kashmir, regarding alleged manipulation of service records by certain officials to obtain undue benefits.
During verification, it surfaced that Gojri had allegedly submitted a forged date-of-birth certificate showing his birth date as February 27, 1973 instead of his actual year of birth as 1975.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Police Station Crime Branch Kashmir, now Police Station SCW Kashmir.
The investigation revealed that the accused was 17 years and 2 months old at the time of his initial engagement as a daily wager in the Agriculture Department, the officials said.
The two other accused allegedly facilitated the incorporation of the incorrect date of birth into his service records by disregarding directions for document verification, thereby facilitating the regularisation of his services, they said.
During the investigation, offences as per the FIR were established against all three accused. After obtaining the requisite approval and sanction in respect of the two serving government employees, the chargesheet has been presented before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court, Srinagar, they added.
(PTI News)
