Repatriation of officers from ACB triggers row
Srinagar: The repatriation of three senior officers from J&K’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to the Home Department has triggered a controversy with Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti alleging that it “exposes nexus between the corrupt and the most powerful”.
On Thursday, the J&K government by orders of the Lt Governor repatriated three SPs — Abdul Wahid Shah, Mohammad Rashid, and Rakesh Kumar from the ACB. In their place, Deep Singh
Jamwal, Manzoor Ahmad Mir, and Mamta Sharma (JKPS) were posted to the ACB.
The order of repatriation of the officers came at a time when the ACB was investigating corruption in the prestigious Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) project – which started in 2017. The SSCL comprised area-based development with an estimated amount of Rs 2,869 crore and pan-city solutions with an estimated cost of Rs 765 crore. In the last week, two senior officials of SSCL were booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets. Days later the ACB registered two preliminary inquiries into misappropriation of materials and use of sub-standard material in SSCL projects.
The former Chief Minister and PDP Chief criticized the repatriation of officers, which raises questions about the government’s commitment to justice and accountability. “The removal of Abdul Wahid & his colleagues from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) highlights the risks faced by officials who challenge corruption. It exposes the nexus between the corrupt &most powerful. This action of punishing the whistleblower has revealed the government’s true intentions behind using various agencies including ACB to raid properties of Kashmiris under the guise of corruption investigations. Raises questions about the government’s commitment to justice and accountability,” Mufti said in a post on X.