Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 29: In a significant development, the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, has accorded sanction to prosecute the IAS officer of J&K Cadre Baseer Ahmed Khan, who is presently posted as District Development Commissioner Kishtwar, for his alleged involvement in the infamous Gulmarg land scam. With this decision, the decks are cleared for presentation of challan against him in the court of Special Judge Anti-corruption.
Informed sources told EXCELSIOR that after analyzing the documents furnished by the State Government in compliance to the directions of the Division Bench, the Department of Personnel and Training has accorded sanction to prosecute the serving IAS officer Baseer Khan for his involvement in the infamous Gulmarg land scam.
In the separate communiqués addressed to the State Government and counsel for the Government of India in the High Court, Jammu Wing, Under Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, Anurag Sharma has mentioned that the competent authority in terms of Section 6 of J&K Prevention of Corruption Act has accorded sanction for the prosecution of Baseer Khan (IAS) in FIR No.8/2009 VOK (Vigilance Organization Kashmir), sources said.
The sanction order to the J&K Government was conveyed vide letter dated August 21, 2013 while as the same was conveyed to the counsel for the Government of India few days later, sources informed, adding “the sanction letter has now been placed before the Chief Secretary, Mohd Iqbal Khandey for further necessary orders in the matter”.
The stand taken by the DoPT in case of Baseer Ahmad Khan would be communicated to the High Court on next date of hearing in the PIL. Though the PIL was listed on August 27, 2013 before the Division Bench comprising Justice Virender Singh and Justice A M Magray yet the same could not be taken up due to heavy schedule.
In the infamous Gulmarg land scam case, all other alleged accused including the then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Mehboob Iqbal have already been challaned on the directions of the Division Bench passed on August 28 last year. The challan against Baseer Ahmed Khan, who was Deputy Commissioner Baramulla when the scam came to fore, could not be produced for want of prosecution sanction from the Department of Personnel and Training.
In its last order issued on July 19, 2013 the Division Bench comprising Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tashi Rabstan had granted four weeks time to the Union of India for sanctioning prosecution of alleged tainted officer in the Gulmarg land scam and DoPT has ensured compliance of the same within the stipulated time-frame by granting prosecution sanction.
Earlier, in compliance to the directions of the Division Bench passed on August 28, 2012, the State Government had forwarded the papers of Baseer Ahmad Khan to the DoPT for examination and issuance of necessary orders. However, the accord of prosecution sanction took time for want of certain clarifications sought by the DoPT after the initial examination of the documents.
On March 4, 2013, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice M M Kumar directed the State Government to relieve Baseer Ahmad Khan from the post of Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar on the ground that serious allegations were leveled against him in an application received in the office of Chief Justice. Accordingly, the Government while ordering reshuffle in civil administration posted Baseer Khan as Director Panchayats in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
Following violence in Kishtwar district and subsequent removal of Saleem Choudhary as Deputy Commissioner, the Government transferred Baseer Khan from the Department of Panchayati Raj and posted him as new Deputy Commissioner of Kishtwar.
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