Former range officer in ACB net in disproportionate assets case in J-K

A former Forest Department official was booked in a disproportionate assets case in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, following which simultaneous searches were carried out at his three residences, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said.

Altaf Hussain Shah, a former range officer of Forest Division Kishtwar, along with his son Imtizaj-ul-Hussain, was among over 40 people convicted last year in the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) MBBS paper scam of 2012.

"A case was registered against Shah of Suid Dacchan village, the then Range Officer Forest Division, Kishtwar, for accumulating huge moveable and immovable assets quite disproportionate to his known legal sources of income," an ACB spokesman said.

He said the case under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against the former official in Police Station ACB Doda and investigation was taken-up.

The cognizance into the matter has been taken on the basis of a verification, which revealed that the suspect is in possession of a two-storey house in Suid Dacchan and had constructed two more houses - a three-storey house near Kishtwar bus stand and another two-storey house at Sunjwan in Jammu, the spokesman said.

"The investigation revealed that the suspect officer, along with his son namely Imtizaj-ul-Hussain, were convicted in BOPEE case registered by Crime Branch Kashmir having paid an amount of Rs 22 lakh as illegal gratification for managing a seat illegally through BOPEEs entrance examination for admission of his son in MBBS," the spokesman said.

A total of 43 persons, including the former head of BOPEE, Mushtaq Ahmad Peer, were convicted by a special anti-corruption court in Srinagar last year. The court sentenced Peer, the prime accused, to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment besides imposing a fine of Rvs 1 crore on him.

Besides constructing three houses, the spokesman said Shah has purchased a car and two two-wheelers.

"The expenditure incurred by him in acquiring these assets and the balance amount of his bank accounts were found much more than the legitimate income, earned by him from all known sources of income during his service period (With effect from 1980 to February 2013) and, as such, the assets so found in his possession are disproportionate to his known sources of income," he said.

After obtaining search warrant from the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Doda, he said teams were constituted which carried out searches at his houses, the spokesman said, adding that incriminating documents, cheques and bank passbooks related to the case were seized.