Baramulla :The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of the Crime Branch J&K has filed a chargesheet against seven accused persons in connection with an alleged misappropriation of government funds meant for the construction of a school building in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
According to officials, the chargesheet in FIR No. 43/2018 has been presented before the Hon’ble Court of the Special Anti-Corruption Judge Baramulla. The accused have been booked under Sections 420 and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) along with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case was registered following a written complaint alleging that government funds sanctioned under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme for the construction of a school building at Hampora Kralgund village were misused.
Investigations revealed that an amount of ₹5,73,592 had been released through several cheques by the then Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Langate, mainly routed through the first teacher of Primary School Hampora. However, the approved infrastructure — including a kitchen block, toilet, and ramp — was not constructed as per the sanctioned plan.
Officials stated that only the basic structure of the school building was found on the ground, while the other facilities remained unbuilt despite the release of funds.
Further probe by the Crime Branch indicated that the accused officials, in alleged connivance with a contractor, entered into a criminal conspiracy and violated SSA guidelines while allotting the construction work. As per norms, the project was supposed to be executed through members of the Village Education Committee (VEC).
The investigation also found that the original project plan was deliberately altered. Instead of constructing a three-room school building with a separate kitchen, toilet, and ramp as approved, a double-storey structure with four rooms was built.
Moreover, even after the completion of the structure, the contractor reportedly failed to hand over the building to the Education Department, while the concerned officials allegedly did not take possession of the property. This negligence enabled another accused person to illegally occupy the building, investigators said.
Based on the evidence collected during the investigation, the Crime Branch has established offences against the accused individuals and filed the chargesheet before the competent court for further judicial proceedings.
The Economic Offences Wing Kashmir reiterated its commitment to curbing corruption and protecting public funds, stating that strict legal action will continue against those involved in financial irregularities.