Jammu, May 20: In a significant development in a long-standing case of financial irregularities, Special Judge Anti-Corruption Doda, Archana Charak, has formally framed corruption and criminal conspiracy charges against multiple former officials of the Municipal Committee Doda. The accused include Sheikh Abdul Hafiz and Mohammad Ashraf Zarger (then Executive Officers), Sanitary Inspectors Sukesh Kumar and Zakir Ali, Accountant Showket Ali, Junior Assistant Mohammad Latif Shah, and retired Sanitary Supervisor Abdul Rashid Dar.
The charges stem from a detailed investigation into allegations of widespread corruption, misuse of official position, and financial embezzlement during the period 2008–2012. These public servants, in alleged connivance with higher authorities and certain beneficiaries, are accused of swindling lakhs of rupees from public funds by manipulating records and executing fraudulent appointments.
According to the case file, several appointments to various posts in the Municipal Committee Doda were made arbitrarily, reportedly at the behest of senior officials or for personal gain. These unauthorized appointments led to the wrongful withdrawal and misappropriation of large sums of money in the form of wages. One of the key findings of the investigation revealed that an amount of ₹1,30,790 was disbursed for 26 need-based labourers—many of whom existed only on paper, with no verified addresses or parentage.
Additionally, ₹9,309 was fraudulently withdrawn for diesel purchases that were never utilized in municipal vehicles. Fictitious fuel vouchers were used to siphon money under the POL (Petrol, Oil, and Lubricants) head. These include:
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Voucher No. 2953 dated 27.02.2009 for 100 litres of diesel for a tractor (₹3,522)
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Voucher No. 2124 dated 19.09.2011 for 40 litres for the same tractor (₹1,725)
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Voucher No. 1049 dated 30.10.2010 for 30 litres for a loader (₹1,236)
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Voucher No. 231 dated 03.06.2009 for 20 litres for a container vehicle
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Voucher No. 327 dated 30.10.2011 for 50 litres of diesel (₹2,156)
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The case was initially registered under FIR No. 153/2012 at the direction of SSP Doda, invoking multiple sections of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) including 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 420 (cheating), 467 and 468 (forgery), 471 (using forged document), and 109 (abetment). Subsequently, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to probe the matter thoroughly.
After hearing Special Public Prosecutor Rajesh Gill representing the Anti-Corruption Bureau and Advocate M.A. Bhat appearing for the accused, the court ruled that a prima facie case existed against all the accused, warranting the framing of formal charges. The court held that there were sufficient grounds for proceeding under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the RPC, as well as Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Specifically, Sheikh Abdul Hafiz was charged under Sections 409, 420, and 120-B RPC along with Section 5(2) of the PC Act, while the remaining accused face charges under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of RPC and 5(2) of the PC Act.
The formal charges were read out and explained to the accused in open court, where they pleaded not guilty and opted to face trial.
This case marks a significant step forward in the efforts of the Anti-Corruption Bureau to hold public officials accountable for financial mismanagement and the abuse of their official positions. The trial is set to proceed with the next hearing scheduled in the coming weeks.