JK News Today

Jammu, March 09:

What we can call it massive dent to the drive against corruption in Jammu and Kashmir, around 80 percent cases of cases of corruption against bureaucrats and government officials are under investigation with State Vigilance Organisation and Crime Branch in last two years.

Official sources in both these elite investigation agencies of J&K working on corruption cases against government officials informed that the investigation are moving on very slow pace and the reason is non-avalability of record and necessary documentation against the accused officials. The sources also however agreed that political and other influences also played a role in the delaying of investigations in many such cases.

However, if go by the records total 216 cases of corruption against bureacucrats and other government officials are registered in State Vigilance Organisation J&K. Among these 113 cases have been registered in Jammu region and 87 are still under investigation from January 01, 2015 to December 31, 2017. Meanwhile, 103 such cases of corrupt practices are pending at Kashmir Valley and out of this 76 are under investigation.

While, over 50 cases of corruption or using of official position for illegal means are registered with Crime Branch and 8 such cases are in Kashmir in last two years, while 7 are still under investigation. Similarly, 44 have been registered in Jammu region and 20 are pending. It is also strange that in maximum cases with Crime Branch the accused are yet to be arrested and records of these cases is still not recovered by the investigation agency.

The official sources also said that there are also details of pending prosecution of FIR cases of Vigilance, Crime Branch and CBI. Total 7 cases in SVO, 6 cases in CB and only two cases in CBI are pending.

The attitude of State Government to delay in conclusion of these cases of corruption exposed as the important post of Director Vigilance is laying vacant since last over 6 months. ADG Muneer Khan was the last Director Vigilance, before joining as IGP Kashmir and since then government has not appointed any Director and IG Vigilance, Kashmir and Jammu are looking after the cases.