J&K Bank’s petition for release of docs rejected

JAMMU: Special Judge Anticorruption Kashmir RN Wattal on Saturday rejected the plea of J&K Bank seeking release of documents which were seized by the Anticorruption Bureau in illegal appointment scam last year.
Various documents pertaining to appointees in the bank were seized by the ACB in its raids which started on 8 June, 2019. These documents were subsequently deposited with the court in 13 sealed trunks.
The Bank has moved the court seeking the release of personal files of Assistant Banking Associates and Banking Attendants seized so as to record the annual performance and release of increments and other service conditions of these appointees.
The Bank observed that these appointees have not been recruited by following due recruitment process.
“The bank officials in conspiracy with the politicians have made mockery of whole recruitment process. For all intents and purposes the recruitment of these appointees is not legal but purely illegal.
“How come these appointees recruited by fraudulent back door appointment be given increments, or their annual performance recorded is surprising and an intentional design to clothe these illegal appointments with all privileges as if they were appointed through a legal recruitment process,” the court observed.
“Obviously the reason for release of these service files are not supported with any cogent reason instead same is absurd. Another aspect of the case is that these service files are required by ACB for investigation of FIR No.01/2020 that has been registered recently. The investigation in the said FIR is in its infancy, as such the release of the files or documents in original or in photostat shall hamper the further investigation in the said FIR,” the court noted and dismissed the application filed by J&K Bank. JNF