CBI raids multiple locations in Jammu, Katra in diverse cases

JAMMU: As a part of country-wide operation, the CBI carried out searches at 110 locations in 19 states in connection with fresh cases related to alleged corruption, arms smuggling and criminal misconduct, officials said Tuesday. The searches were conducted after CBI registered thirty fresh cases, said official sources.
The operation is spread across Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jammu, Srinagar, Pune, Jaipur, Goa, Raipur, Hyderabad, Madurai, Kolkata, Rourkela, Ranchi, Bokaro, Lucknow, Kanpur and other locations in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar.
Sharing details the authoritative sources in CBI said that the agency conducted surveys at Jammu, Ferozpur, Mumbai and Chandigarh after it registered a case in the alleged bungling of Rs 5.82 Crore in Jammu, Katra railway electrification project. The six year project was started in the year 2011. Official sources said that a Mumbai based private company namely Power Engineering Service was given the contract for the same. Following the complaint, CBI made inventory of the employees engaged in the project and made searches in their respective residences including one in Jammu.
Official sources said that a separate team of CBI also made surveys in the seven guns shops in winter capital of state. These including four at Jammu Railway Station and three at Satwari area from where CBI sleuths seized records for scrutiny.
“The fresh surveys are stated to be the part of the investigation of the two cases registered by the CBI to probe illegal issuance of over 40,000 gun licences issued during the last one decade by various district administrations of Jammu & Kashmir. The CBI move comes after reference from the State Government”, said a senior officer in CBI.
The two cases were registered against unknown officials of various districts of the State under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act and Arms Act. A former District Collector of Kupwara has been named as an accused in one of the cases, a CBI official said.
Following reports of illegal issuance of gun licences to people without due process, the Jammu and Kashmir State Government had earlier revoked a number of such licences issued between January 1, 2017 and February 23, 2019 . The State Government also put a blanket ban on issuance of any licence.
The racket came to light after the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in 2017 unearthed one of the biggest gun licences scam operating from Jammu & Kashmir. Key districts involved in the racket included Kupwara Ganderbal, Leh, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi and Udhampur.
Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had initiated a probe to look into allegations of irregularities including bribery in issuance of gun licences across Jammu & Kashmir. The Home Ministry had also directed the State Government to look into the issue following which a ban was imposed on issuance of fresh licenses.

Comment on this Story