Srinagar, Oct 14 : The Special Crime Wing (SCW) of Crime Branch Kashmir on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against three Agriculture Department officials, including a retired officer, in a case involving alleged forgery of service records and corruption.
The chargesheet was presented before the Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Srinagar, in FIR No. 02/2022, registered under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The accused have been identified as Abdul Rashid Gojri, a helper in the Sub-Divisional Agriculture Office, Beerwah; Manzoor Ahmad Wani, Section Officer in the office of the Chief Agriculture Officer, Budgam; and Peer Abdul Rashid, a retired Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer.
According to Crime Branch Kashmir, the case originated from a communication dated February 15, 2022, received from the Deputy Director Agriculture, Central Kashmir, alleging manipulation of service records by certain officials to obtain undue benefits.
During preliminary verification, investigators found that Gojri had allegedly submitted a forged date-of-birth certificate showing February 27, 1973, as his date of birth instead of February 27, 1975.
The Crime Branch said its investigation established that Gojri was 17 years and two months old when he was initially engaged as a daily wager in the Agriculture Department.
Investigators alleged that the other two accused facilitated the incorporation of the incorrect date of birth into his service records by disregarding directions requiring verification of documents.
The alleged manipulation subsequently facilitated the regularisation of Gojri’s services, the agency said.
Crime Branch Kashmir said the investigation established sufficient grounds to prosecute the three accused for the offences mentioned in the FIR.
After obtaining the requisite approval and prosecution sanction in respect of the two serving government employees, the agency submitted the chargesheet before the anti-corruption court.
The charges against the accused are yet to be adjudicated by the court.(KNS)
