Srinagar, Sept 16: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Srinagar, has filed a Prosecution Complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) before the Court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption CBI Cases, Kashmir, Srinagar.
The chargesheet names Hakeem Imtiyaz (former Junior Engineer, R&B PW Shopian Division), Niamat Ali Bhat (private civil contractor), Shahnawaz Shafi (former Circle Deployment Head, Airtel, J&K), and Malik Mohsin Shah (former Axis Bank employee, Shopian) for their alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy to siphon Rs 2.67 crore.
The case follows an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), J&K, Anantnag, concerning the misappropriation of funds paid by Airtel and Reliance Jio to the PWD R&B Department for damages caused to roads during the laying of telephone cables in Shopian and Handwara districts.
According to the ED, Hakeem Imtiyaz, in coordination with others including Niamat Ali, fraudulently claimed the funds for repair works and deposited them into a bank account opened under the name of “Assistant Engineer, PW (R&B) Division, Shopian”, intending to siphon the money.
Earlier, the ED attached movable and immovable properties linked to Niamat Ali Bhat, including a Maruti Wagon R and land measuring 1 Kanal, 3 Marlas at Chattabal, Srinagar, with a two-storey residential house valued at Rs 1.56 crore.
The Special Court has taken cognizance of the complaint, and further investigation by the ED is ongoing.