Will seek govt's sanction for prosecuting 75 officials:J-K SVO

Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) today said it will seek from the state government sanction for prosecution of 75 persons involved in the embezzlement of Rs 22 crore meant for land acquisition for widening of National highway at Lethpora.
"The investigation of high profile (land scandal) case has been finalised against 75 officers and officials including Bank employees and private persons in record time and referred to State Vigilance Commission before sending it to the government for accord of sanction for launching prosecution," a spokesman of the SVO told PTI here.
The spokesman said on receipt of directions from the government, SVO registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act after it came to light that crores of rupees, meant for disbursement to owners whose land was acquired for four lanning National Highway in village Lethpora and adjacent villages in Pulwama district, has been embezzled.

The accounts in the name of Collector Land Acquisition National Highway (Additional Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama) were opened in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank Lethpora Branch through which all the fraudulent withdrawals to the tune of Rs 22 crore were carried out by resorting to manipulation of records, the spokesman said.
The officers of Revenue Department Pulwama and J-K Bank Branch Lethpora including then Additional Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Adil Rashid Naqash, Office Superintendent Parvez Ahmad Indrabi, Manager J&K Bank Lethpora Nazir Ahmad Mir and others by abusing their official position in conspiracy with non officials - Showkat Ahmad Dar of Zinipora-Chadoora and Farooq Jehanzeb of Awantipora misappropriated the compensation amount, the spokesman said.

Soon after the registration of the case, the information was shared with government which, after conducting the formal enquiry, dismissed the Additional Deputy Commissioner Pulwama from services who was the prime accused in the instant case, the spokesman said.
The SVO has already attached a number of properties, both movable and immovable, and frozen bank accounts worth crores of rupees by resorting to special provision of attachment under Prevention of Corruption Act.