J&K ACB registers case against former tribal affairs chief, others on corruption charges

Anti-Corruption Bureau

The Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a case against the former Minister of Tribal Affairs and other officials for misappropriating tens of millions of dollars, causing huge losses to the government’s finances.

According to a statement issued here, the case has been registered against Mohd Sharief Choudhary, then director of J&K tribal affairs Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then assistant director Gulzar Hussain, then junior assistant Javed Ahmed, then director computer assistant Shaheen Naqishbandi, then director Filed by Shaheen Naqishbandi, Computer Assistant. Principal Assistant and Other Officers/Officers, Tribal Affairs Department, J&K Mohd. Javaid (Owner of M/S National Computer Institute, Surankot, Poonch and M/S Infotech Institute of Computer Studies, Poonch), Mohd Farooq (Owner of M/S Institute of Professional Studies, Technology Park, Rajouri), Mohd Shakeel (M/ of Owner) S MSKhan Institute of Computer Science, Rajouri), Muddasir Ahmed (M/S NESSOW Institute Owner Surankot Poonch vide FIR No. 05/2024 U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w J&K No. Section 5(2) of the PC Act, Svt. October 9, 2024, Section 120-B RPC.

The statement said the case was registered based on the findings of an inspection conducted by the bureau to investigate allegations of serious violation of guidelines and regulations by J&K, the bureau of tribal affairs, in the implementation of the post-graduation scholarship funding scheme for ST candidates. Crores of rupees are released to unaccredited institutions for conducting unaccredited courses, etc.

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The article reads: “It has been verified that the Government of India has launched a post-graduation scholarship scheme to ST candidates to provide financial assistance in the form of a scholarship of Rs 18,000 per student plus a living allowance of Rs 2300 to complete their studies.”

It added that the objective behind the scholarship scheme is to provide financial assistance to ST students studying at matriculation or higher education level to enable them to complete their studies and to reimburse students the mandatory fees charged by recognized institutes.

It also stated that the officials of the department paid scholarships worth around Rs. Between 2014 and 2018, 1,66,20,000 was directly deposited into the bank accounts of the following institutions: M/S National Computer Institute, M/S NESSOW College, M/S Infotech I.tech Management College, M/S Technopark College of professional & technical and M/S MS Khan School of Computer Science.

“Verification conducted further revealed that even though one of the institutions, i.e., M/S NESSOW School of Computing, did not have proper accreditation from NIELIT or other recognized institutions, the department paid a scholarship amounting to Rs. 100 Cr. 33,30,000 also came to this Institute. The remaining four NIELIT-certified institutions did not conduct examinations for candidates through NIELIT, but issued course certificates on their own, which was worthless and thus violated the original intention of the postgraduate scholarship program.”

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It added that the course content offered by NIELIT is different from that offered on the diploma issued by the institute, except for the course content and duration of CHM ‘O’ level and ‘O’ level. In this manner, the officials/officers included Mohd Sharief Choudhary, then Director, Tribal Affairs, J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Wani, then Assistant Director Gulzar Hussain, then Junior Assistant Javed Ahmed, then In-charge Computer Assistant, Shaheen Naqishbandi, then Chief Assistant, by abusing his official position and substituting for a criminal conspiracy hatched between them and with the beneficiary namely Mohd Javaid S/O Lal Hussain R/O Gunthel Tehsil Surankote, Poonch (National Computer Institute Surankote, Poonch) owner, discharged Prescribed Responsibilities & Infotech Institute of Computer Studies, Poonch), Mohd Farooq S/O Mohd Abdullah R/O Village Dodaj Sabzi Tehsil Darhal Rajouri (Owner, Institute of Professional Studies, Tech Park, Rajouri), Mohd Shakeel S/O Mohd Jameel R/O Manjakote, Rajouri (Owner of MSKhan Institute of Computer Science, Rajouri) and Muddasir Ahmed S/O Ghulam Mohd Bhat R/O near Shamspora High School, Bijbehara Anantnag (Owner of NESSOW Institute Surankot Poonch) and others also by manipulating records Violation of the guidelines of the scheme and misappropriation of government funds amounting to Rs.1,66,20,000, causing huge loss to the government exchequer, prima facie punishable U/S 5(1)(c)(d) r/w J&K PC Section 5(2) of the Act, Svt. 2006 & Section 120-B RPC. Accordingly, case FIR No. 05/2024 has been registered against P/S ACB Rajouri and investigation into the case has been started.

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