Srinagar, Oct 17 – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a big step against a corruption case that cost the state government 3.54 crore rupees. The ED’s Srinagar office filed a prosecution complaint with the Special PMLA Court in the city last Friday.
The complaint names former chief engineer of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, and four others: Rajnish Bal, Mohammad Amin Wani, Nisar Ahmad Bhat, and Imran Baba – a partner at M/s Baba Enterprises. All are charged under the Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002.
According to the ED’s statement, a pre‑cognisance notice has already been sent to each accused by the special PMLA court. The investigation began after an FIR was registered by the Anti‑Corruption Bureau in Srinagar against the group for misappropriating government funds.
The ED says the PHED officials, together with M/s Baba Enterprises, stole money during the purchase of spare parts for water‑filtration plants. The alleged scheme involved:
* 2.30 crore rupees worth of spare parts and additional supplies that were not tendered in the usual way.
* No proper security deposit – the company was only required to give a 2 percent deposit, but instead only a 1‑lakh rupee earnest money turnover was accepted.
* The supply period was stretched from the normal 30 days to 90 days.
M/s Baba Enterprises received 3.54 crore rupees from PHED but forwarded only 1.55 crore to the original supplier, M/s Industrial Devices (India) Pvt. Ltd. in New Delhi. The remaining 1.56 crore was diverted to buy immovable property in Srinagar: an 18‑marla plot in Barinambal and a 27.5‑marla plot in Hyderpora. The ED has seized these properties, each worth the illicit sum.
The case is part of a broader drive to clean up old frauds that emerged during the peak years of terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir. When the rule of law was weakened, many corrupt practices went unchecked. Now that accountability has been restored, new investigations are uncovering more scams from that period.
The ED continues to pursue the case under the PMLA, aiming to recover the stolen funds and hold the officials and contractors accountable. The outcome of the proceedings will send a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated in Jammu and Kashmir’s public services.
Source: ianslive
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