Three J

Srinagar, June 21 (UNI) An anti-corruption court here framed charges against three officials of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council for forging signatures of a contractor and withdrawing money from the state exchequer in 1989.

Charges were framed against the then chief sports officer, sport officer and physical instructor at the government higher secondary school, Bandipora, in the court of the Special Judge Anti-Corruption, Syed Tariq Ahmad Naqshbandi, here.

In 1989, the then sports officer, Srinagar, and the then chief sports officer, Jammu and Kashmir, were asked to upgrade a sports stadium at Bandipora.

The sports officer at that time issued a short-term tender notice on August 9, 1989. Following the notice, the department concerned received 12 tenders. The department approved the lowest tender, which was of contractor Tahir Malik.

The department later showed supplies orders and work executed claiming it has paid Rs 1,83,035 to the contractor.

However, the contractor later alleged that he was not paid any money for the work executed. An investigation was ordered into the matter and it was revealed that the signatures attributed to the contractor on bills and payment receipts were forged.

Signatures of the accused were later sent to an expert who confirmed that the handwriting of officials matched with those of the signatures attributed to the contractor.

On investigations, it was revealed that there was no formal agreement with Malik and that he had not executed any turf work on the sports stadium. The accused, it was alleged, fabricated the signatures to embezzle the money.

The counsels of the accused denied the charges on grounds that the engineering experts had certified the turf work was executed.

The counsel for the physical instructor said the charges levelled against his client were baseless as he was asked to assist the committee in laying turf and had nothing to do with work allotment.

In his order, the judge said there were incriminating evidence against the accused who had disbursed the payment in gross violation of the guidelines of the Jammu and Kashmir Financial Code.

Adding that, a public servant is prohibited from engaging in any trade as it amounted to penal offence punishable under section 168 RPC.

Framing the charges against the accused, the Judge said they have prima-facie committed offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

UNI