Srinagar, Jun 22: Anti-Corruption Bureau on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against Mohammad Shafi Bhat, the then Executive Engineer, R&B Division, Kupwara and others accused of purchasing of furniture items for MLA Hostel Kupwara at exorbitant rates.
As per an ACB spokesman, the instant case FIR No 08/2015 was registered at P/S Vigilance Organization Kashmir (now ACB) in backdrop of a verification conducted into the allegations that officers/officials of R&B Division Kupwara in connivance with others have misappropriated government funds meant for purchase of various furniture items for MLA Hostel Kupwara. It was also alleged the then Executive Engineer, R&B Division, Kupwara Mohammad Shafi Bhat in furtherance of criminal conspiracy hatched by him with the supplier Abdul Lateef Ganai and other officials of the R&B Division Kupwara have misappropriated government funds meant for the purchase of various furniture items for MLA Hostel Kupwara in year 2009-10 by dishonestly and fraudulently showing fake and fictitious competition in the tendering process.
The investigations conducted by ACB revealed that the accused Executive Engineer has invited quotations vide NIT No. 1776-82 dated 17.06.2009 for supply of various furniture/furnishing items for MLA Hostel Kupwara, without obtaining Administrative Approval from the competent authorities and without advertising the same in print/ electronic media even as the tendering process was also fabricated by preparing fake and forged quotations of purported participating Quotationers to show the fake competition in order to favour the accused supplier MS Wani Furnishing House represented by Latief Ahmad Ganie, the ACB said.
It said that all the other participants fraudulently shown to have participated in the tendering process had denied that they ever participated in the tendering process and the documents prepared by the officials are fake/forged to facilitate the issuance of supply order in favour of the supplier. It was also found that the said accused Executive Engineer by abusing his official position under a well knit conspiracy with other officials and the accused supplier Latief Ahmad Ganie arbitrarily fixed the rate of Furnishing / furniture items without conducting any market survey and fixed the contract for supply of said item in favour of the accused blue eyed supplier Vide supply order No. 80/AG of 09/2009 on highly exorbitant rates without obtaining Administrative Approval and also affected purchases in favour of the supplier at exorbitant rates, added the ACB.
“The investigation conducted by ACB has proved that the accused officials in their capacity as public servants have abused their official positions by entering into conspiracy with the supplier and under a well knit conspiracy have resorted to manipulation/forgery of tendering records and purchased the furniture items on huge exorbitant rates thereby illegally /fraudulently giving undue pecuniary benefits to accused supplier and causing loss to state exchequer.”
The chargesheet was presented against Mohammad Shafi Bhat, the then Executive Engineer, Mohammad Sultan Sheikh, the then Executive Engineer, Abdul Gani Bhat, the then Head Draftsman, Noor Mohammad Ganai, the then camp clerk of R&B Division Kupwara and Abdul Latief Ganai, the supplier son of Abdul Hamid of Kalaroos Kupwara accused beneficiary for commission of offences under various sections of IPC/PC Act svt 2006 before Anti Corruption Court Baramulla and the next date of hearing has been fixed on 09-08-2022.