Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 3: The High Court today sought report from Government on number of Elementary Teachers Training Colleges that have been closed down after a major scam and asked it to furnish updated status of investigation.
Hearing a much publicized Public Interest Iitigation on irregularities and embezzlement by Elementary Teachers Training Colleges in the entire State, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Badar Durez Ahmad and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey sought information with regard to those ETT colleges which have been closed down by the authorities. “Before the next date Dar shall give also an updated status report of all the aforesaid investigation. In addition, he shall file an updated chart indicating the institution which have been closed and also those institutions which are being permitted”, HC directed Additional Advocate General Bashir Ahmad Dar.
State Counsel handed over the latest status report to DB in open Court which indicated that the chargesheet for sessions 2003-05, 2004-06, 2005-06, 2005-07, 2006-08, 2007-09 and 2008-10 have already been produced before the Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Jammu.
However, in so far as the session 2009-11 is concerned, it is indicated that the investigation has been completed and the chargesheet produced in the court on 21.8.17 against 15 accused persons.
With regard to session 2011-13, Court has been informed that the investigation is going on and the relevant record has been seized by the Investigating Officer.
It appears, Court recorded, that more than 55 ETT institutions were established during the session and the record collected so far is under scrutiny and after completion of the examination of documents, the final view in the matter would be taken. State Counsel assured the court that investigation in so far as session 2011-13 shall be expedited.
Court also directed for proposed amendment of J&K School Education Rules 2010 for which State Counsel submitted that this may take about four weeks. “In other words by next date of hearing, this would have been done”, DB directed.
The modification in the Rules has been directed to bring the transparency in the education and prevent any kind of irregularities in education sector.
Previously court had directed the Commissioner/Secretary Education Department to prepare the proposed amendment to the rules of J&K Education Department 2010 and place the draft rules before the court.
Proposed modification and administrative orders are sought by the court which is to be incorporated in the rules of 2010. Up-to progress of previous investigation in respect of session 2007-2009 has been finalized by CB and charge sheet produced before the court in the month of December last year against 7 promoters of ETT institutes against the then Director Academics BOSE Jammu, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad.
Earlier Crime Branch Jammu informed the court that it (CB) scrutinized the examination records pertaining to session 2008-2010 which revealed that two batches of ETT courses in 2008-2010 (General) & 2008-2010 (court cases) were started by the BOSE authorities and out of 60 ETT institutes established by the promoters and out of 60 institutions 48 ETT institutes have been scrutinized and examination of records in respect of remaining 12 ETTs was under process.
The charge sheet with regard to session 2008-2010 was presented against former BOSE chairman Dr Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, S S Salathia, the then Joint Secretary ETT BOSE, Jagmohan Singh-Promoter of Khalis ETT College Gadigarh, Sarup Chand Sharma-Promoter of RJCS educational ETT institute-Bishnah, Harbans-Promoter of Indian ETT institute Kathua, Pranab Ram-Promoter of Nav Durga TT & RI Kathua, and Sunil Sawhney of Pacca Danga-Promoter Priyadarshani Institute of Teachers Training Purkhoo.
The challan was presented by CB in its case FIR No. 36/ 2013 u/s 420,467,468,471,120-B/ RPC r/w section 5(2) P/.C. Act P/S Crime Branch, Jammu for the session 2008-2010 against around 13 persons including senior officials and owners of ETTs.
It may be mentioned here that the investigation was carried out in the scam by Crime Branch Kashmir as well as by Crime Branch Jammu in connection of two FIRs registered at CB Jammu and at CB Kashmir and Court is monitoring the investigation in which till date various revelations has come before the court about the bungling and irregularities in ETT Colleges throughout the State.
In one of the reports, it is alleged that the candidates were lured and amounts, ranging from Rs 45,000 to Rs 80,000 were extracted from each one of them through touts for providing them degrees and certificates by these ETT colleges.
Enquiry report further alleged that these institutions were allowed and permitted to run the courses without issuance of NOC from the State Government, which is granted after inspection of these colleges.
As Court has already held that insatiable human greed has caused immense damage to our educational system as such the whole country will become nation of block heads, thus making its future dark.
Another report filed before the court also revealed that a mafia in league with BOSE authorities was involved in this huge scandal and almost 480 colleges are operating in the entire State out of which 80 are in Kashmir Division and 320 colleges in Jammu Division and two FIRs have been registered with regard to ETT scam as one in Kashmir and another in Jammu Division.
In one of the communication sent by Chairman BOSE to IGP Crime because of the enquiry report of Joint Secretary BOSE and offence u/s 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) has been added to the FIRs, which would mean that a conspiracy was allegedly hatched by the BOSE authorities with the owners of ETT institutes resulting into registering of FIR at Crime Branch Srinagar as well as Crime Branch Jammu.
Subsequently various college owners and some Board officials have been held guilty during the investigation conducted by Crime Branch and action as per law has been initiated against them and outcome of action taken is being submitted to the court from time to time.
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