The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday searched several ex-IAS officials and former district magistrates in connection with illegal arms license case in Jammu & Kashmir, sources told India Today.
Former IAS officers Sajad Ahmed Khan, Baseer Ahmad Khan, M Raju and G Parasanna Ramaswami along with the then district magistrate of Poonch Nisar Ahmed Wani, MH Malik and the then district magistrate of Kulgam Farooq Ahmed Khan (retired) are the prominent persons who were searched by the CBI in this case.
Baseer Ahmad Khan, an IAS officer of the 2000 batch, was relieved of the charge of advisor to Jammu and Kashmir LG earlier this month. He was made an advisor in March last year when GC Murmu was the lieutenant governor of the state and he continued in the post under Murmu's successor Manoj Sinha took over.
Prior to his appointment as an advisor, Baseer Ahmad Khan was the divisional commissioner of Kashmir.
The officials also conducted searches at residential premises of the then clerks and district information officers as part of their investigation.
According to federal probe agency, searches were conducted at around 41 locations in J&K's Srinagar, Anantnag, Banihal, Baramulla, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Leh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh's Bhind at the official and residential premises of around 14 then public servants including then district magistrates. Besides them, five middlemen, 10 gun dealers were also searched.
"During searches, incriminating documents including issuance of arms licences, list of beneficiaries, documents related to investment in fixed deposits, sale proceeds, property documents, bank account details, locker keys, diary comprising incriminating details, arms licence registers, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and some cash, including old currency, were recovered," said CBI spokesperson RC Joshi.
The CBI had registered two cases on the request of J&K and took over the investigation of two FIRs registered in May 2018 by the Vigilance Organisation Kashmir (VOK) and Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licences in the erstwhile State of J&K during the period 2012 to 2016.
It was alleged in the FIRs that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to non-entitled persons. The CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of said armed licences allegedly spread over 22 districts of J&K.
During investigation and scrutiny of documents, according to CBI, the role of certain gun dealers was found who, in connivance with the public the then DM and ADM of concerned district, had allegedly issued illegal arms licences to the ineligible persons.
(With inputs from agencies)