Anti-Graft Bodies Register 40 Major Cases Since 2019, Compared to Mere 4 Since 1947
SRINAGAR: Cases of government employees accepting bribes remain rampant in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite efforts by the Anti-Corruption Bureau to curb corruption, 70 percent of cases of corruption by government employees registered since 2021 are from Kashmir with Jammu amounting to mere 30 percent.
Over the past ten years, numerous scandals have emerged, wreaking havoc on the careers of many young individuals. Among these, the Sub Inspector Recruitment and JE Recruitment scandals stand out. Also notable among these are the Roshni Scheme scam, the Rs 3,000 crore scandal involving the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the distribution of four lakh fake gun licenses, and recruitment scams within the Police Sub Inspector and JE Civil departments.
However, a senior ACB official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that there is some relief in the fact that national investigating agencies like the CBI and ED are taking stringent action. “Over the last three years, the CBI has exposed numerous scams, registering more than 40 cases related to corruption. This marks a significant departure from the past, where only four such cases were registered in the preceding 70 years,” the official divulged. Some of the most notorious scams include:
The Roshni Scam, which has seen the registration of 11 FIRs by the CBI, implicating prominent figures such as former minister Lal Singh’s wife, former minister Abdul Ghani Kohli, and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. The scam involves approximately Rs 25,000 crore and spans about 25 lakh kanals of land.
The gun license scam, which saw IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan and several prominent gun dealers distributing four lakh fake gun licenses. The ED is now investigating this case, having seized assets worth crores of rupees belonging to Rajeev Ranjan.
The J&K Bank Scam, which involved Bilal Rather, son of former minister Abdul Rahim Rather, misappropriating Rs 700 crore from the JK Bank. The scam also includes a rice export fraud worth Rs 1,100 crore, orchestrated with the connivance of JK Bank officials.
Recruitment scams, including those involving 1300 Sub Inspectors and 700 JE civil recruits, which have been exposed by the CBI.