Fake arms licence scam: J&K HC raps Centre, gives ‘final’ two-week window to respond
HC expressed displeasure to the Centre for not filing reply despite lapse of four months since the court’s last order
A division bench of the of J&K and Ladakh high court on Saturday afforded a last opportunity of two weeks to the Centre to file its response to an application that sought impleadment of CBI as party respondent in the infamous fake arms licence scam in Jammu and Kashmir.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), the bench comprising acting chief justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Gupta expressed displeasure to the Centre for not filing reply despite lapse of four months.
The bench reluctantly granted two weeks last and final opportunity to deputy solicitor general of India Vishal Sharma and central government standing counsel Anishwar Chatterji Koul to file a response to the application seeking impleadment of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a party respondent in the instant PIL, failing which right to file the same shall be deemed closed.
When the PIL highlighting the UT administration’s “non-serious approach” in forwarding proposals of IAS officers involved in the infamous scam came up for hearing, advocate SS Ahmed, appearing for the PIL, drew the court’s attention towards an earlier order which had granted the Centre time to reply.
The bench had also directed the department of personnel and training at the Centre to file updated status with regard to the proposal sent by the UT administration for prosecution sanction of IAS officers allegedly involved in the scam, which is being investigated by the CBI’s Chandigarh branch.
{{/usCountry}}The bench had also directed the department of personnel and training at the Centre to file updated status with regard to the proposal sent by the UT administration for prosecution sanction of IAS officers allegedly involved in the scam, which is being investigated by the CBI’s Chandigarh branch.
{{/usCountry}}Ahmed vociferously argued that an all-out attempt was being made to shield the erring IAS officers, who have been prima-facie found involved in the bulk issuance of the arms licences on extraneous considerations.
{{/usCountry}}Ahmed vociferously argued that an all-out attempt was being made to shield the erring IAS officers, who have been prima-facie found involved in the bulk issuance of the arms licences on extraneous considerations.
{{/usCountry}}The bench headed while expressing displeasure observed, “Despite a lapse of about four months, neither response nor updated status has been filed.”
{{/usCountry}}The bench headed while expressing displeasure observed, “Despite a lapse of about four months, neither response nor updated status has been filed.”
{{/usCountry}}“In the interest of justice, further two weeks’ time as last and final opportunity is granted for filing response to the present application, failing which, the right to file the same shall be deemed closed,” it directed.
{{/usCountry}}“In the interest of justice, further two weeks’ time as last and final opportunity is granted for filing response to the present application, failing which, the right to file the same shall be deemed closed,” it directed.
{{/usCountry}}Ahmed further submitted that the UT administration was sitting over the prosecution sanction files of IAS officers and is unnecessarily delaying the matter to shield them.
The CBI had registered a case following the consent of the Jammu and Kashmir government and further notification from the central government in 2018.
A huge arms licence scam allegedly involving deputy magistrates was unearthed by ATS Rajasthan in 2017. It was being probed by the J&K Police before the CBI was handed over the case by the then governor, NN Vohra.
Arms licences in bulk were allegedly issued by the then deputy magistrates in J&K to non-residents on forged documents.
Between 2012 and 2016, deputy commissioners of various districts in J&K had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licences in lieu of monetary consideration.
The Rajasthan ATS in 2017 had arrested over 50 people for their alleged involvement in the illegal issuance of arms licences. According to the ATS, over 3,000 permits were granted allegedly in the name of Army personnel.
The CBI had registered two cases on the request of the J&K government and further notification from Government of India and took over the investigation of two FIRs on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licences in the erstwhile state of J&K during the period 2012 to 2016.
