Police unearth Rs 20 lakh fraud in Kashmir

Srinagar Feb 7: Jammu and Kashmir Police have registered a case against officials of Public Health Engineering (PHE) division, Handwara, under Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly withdrawing lakhs of rupees against fake bills. A police spokesman said that during investigation police unearthed embezzlement and misappropriation of about Rs 20 lakh.

He said a specific information was received on December 15, 2007 by police station Handwara that PHE division Handwara cashier Shabir Ahmad Shah had drawn some fake bills taking advantage of his official position in connivance with other officials and deposited the amount in the account of a private individual under A/C No 23696/SB of Jammu ad Kashmir Bank Branch Handwara.

Investigation in the case was taken up under Section 157 CrPC, he said adding during the proceedings, manager Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch said the account number in the name of Haji Abdul Gaffar Dar of Braripora was being used by above the cashier for transaction purposes.

All sort of credit and debit for the account was stopped and details of the account were communicated by the manager concerned in which it mentioned a transaction of approximately Rs 22 lakh had been made from January to December last year.

For binding charges eight bills have been withdrawn amounting to Rs 184,400 drawn and deposited in the account of Dar and withdrawals made accordingly, nine bills were drawn amounting to Rs 105,364 shown for stationary purposes. Seven bills amounting to Rs 55,950 were withdrawn as legal charges, he said.

Rs 6,94448 withdrawn from the bank under grass cutting, repairs of damaged roads, show clearance through eleven bills. Two bills amounting to Rs 95,493 were withdrawn for repairs of chairs, tables and computers, he said.

The preliminary enquiry into the matter revealed that fake bills have been prepared by officials of the department under various heads amounting to Rs 16,81,993 and same were deposited in the account of Dar, he added.

The bank details of the account have highlighted that a transaction of Rs 20 lack has been made, he said.

UNI