Vehicle hiring scam, J&K govt orders inquiry against 10 cops

Srinagar, Oct 6 (IANS) The J&K government has granted sanction for inquiry against 10 policemen, including an SSP and his subordinate staff, for corrupt practices in hiring vehicles for Srinagar police control room.

The sanction was accorded to the crime branch under the Prevention of Corruption Act for conducting inquiry against 10 police officials for their involvement in vehicle hiring scam.

These officials include SSP Zubair Ahmad Khan, ASP Farhat Jeelani, DySP (retired) Mushtaq Ahmad, sub-inspector Nisar Ahmad, Head Constables Abdul Rashid and Fareed Ahmad and constables Bilal Ahmad, Najamul Gani, Syed Tasweer and Tawseef Ahmad.

Police in July this year had sought sanction from the government for Crime Branch inquiry against these officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988.

An official said that police control room Srinagar had hired private vehicles for carrying security forces and the officials have shown more than the actual number of the vehicles those were actually hired.

“Some of these vehicles had been provided fuel against proper receipt from the petrol pump, but were never used on the ground for security duty.

“Prima facie the involved officials have swindled the money causing huge loss to the state exchequer. The preliminary inquiry into the scam was going on for several months and once it was established that the fraud had been committed, police sought sanction from the government to formally conduct the inquiry against these officials”, sources said. 

This is the second scam involving police control room Srinagar in vehicle hiring.

Some years ago, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report presented in then state Assembly had revealed that an amount of Rs 4.04 crore was paid for hiring of buses, trucks and light motor vehicles during 2014 Parliamentary and Assembly elections by the Jammu and Kashmir Police that turned out to be registered as scooters, motor cycles, non-commercial vehicles, including small cars, tractors and bulldozers or were non-existent.