SRINAGAR — The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Saturday booked an officer of the rank of Assistant Director, for taking bribes to give preferential treatment to a particular company.
According to the news agency ANB, the ACB said that they have registered an FIR against Shabnam Mir, the then Assistant Director of Employment, for demanding and taking bribes from Himalayan Motors Tengpora-Bypass Srinagar for recommending their vehicles under the Mumkin scheme.
“A verification was conducted by Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau to look into the allegations that Shabnam Arif Mir, Assistant Director Employment in capacity of nodal officer under Mumkin scheme for District Kupwara and Bandipora demanded and accepted bribe from officials of Himalayan Motors Tengpora-Bypass Srinagar for processing and recommending their vehicles under the scheme during the year 2021-2022 etc,” it said.
“The verification conducted has revealed that under the Mumkin scheme, the applications of eligible candidates were to be placed before District Level Implementation Committee (DLIC) by the nodal officer after verifying the credentials of the applications as per laid down norms, but said Shabnam Arif Mir, as being nodal officer of Bandipora and Kupwara districts demanded 10,000 per vehicle as bribe/commission from officials of Himalayan Motors, Tengpora Srinagar for recommending their vehicles,” it added.
The probe conducted also revealed that the officials of Himalayan Motors used to submit proforma bills of his dealer to her by paying fixed bribe money with the approval of General Manager Sumeer Pandita and Managing Director, Junaid Bashir Beigh against preferential treatment to Himalayan Motors over other dealers, he said.
The verification conducted has also revealed that the suspect public servant demanded and accepted a bribe to the tune of Rs. 4,00,000 from sales consultants including 1,39,000 received through e-transactions into the account numbers provided by her to officials of Himalayan Motors, he said.
Accordingly, after the culmination of the probe, a case FIR No. 15/2024 under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and section 120-B IPC has been registered at Police Station, Anti-Corruption Bureau Baramulla against accused public servant namely Shabnam Arif Mir, the then Assistant Director Employment, Bandipora and Kupwara (Nodal officer, Mumkin scheme for district Kupwara and Bandipora), Sumeer Pandita, the then General Manager and Junaid Bashir Beigh, the then Managing Director of M/S Himalayan Motors Tengpora-Bypass, Srinagar and others, he said.
Immediately after registration of the case, searches were conducted by various ACB teams at multiple locations in Bandipora, Kupwara and Srinagar during which various incriminating documents were obtained and seized, he said.
Further investigations are going on and the role of other officials is being investigated, it added.
