Srinagar, July 27: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested 12 more individuals in the alleged Jammu and Kashmir Fire and Emergency Services (FES) recruitment paper leak case, taking the investigation into the high-profile recruitment scam a step further.
The arrests were made during the investigation of FIR No. 01/2025, which was registered to probe the alleged leakage of the FES recruitment examination paper and the wider conspiracy behind the recruitment irregularities. Officials said the accused were taken into custody after investigators gathered substantial evidence during the course of the probe.
Those arrested have been identified as Abdul Majid Ganie of Chadoora (Budgam), Bilal Ahmad Halwai of Bijbehara (Anantnag), Irshad-ul-Hamid Hakeem of Hajin (Bandipora), Shahnawaz Ahmad Khan of Sumbal (Bandipora), Ali Mohammad Bhat of Chadoora (Budgam), Shabir Ahmad Malik of Soibugh (Budgam), Mohammad Akram Bhat of Dharmunna (Budgam), Mushtaq Ahmad Rathi of Tangmarg, Sameer Ullah Rather of Chadoora (Budgam), Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat of Kakapora (Pulwama), Zaker Hussain of Phagsoo (Doda), and Sanjay Datta of Jammu.
According to officials, the latest arrests form part of the ACB’s ongoing effort to expose the entire network allegedly involved in the paper leak, identify all beneficiaries, and determine the specific role played by each accused in compromising the fairness of the recruitment process.
The agency said the investigation is continuing on multiple fronts, with teams analysing fresh evidence and following several leads. Officials added that more arrests, searches and legal action may follow as the probe progresses and the alleged conspiracy is examined further.
