The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Jammu and Kashmir has recently filed a chargesheet against two former officials from the Town Drainage Division, Jammu, and a contractor, in connection with a case involving the misappropriation of government funds allocated for drainage projects in the Doda district.

The chargesheet, pertaining to FIR number 03/2019, was presented before the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Doda. The accused individuals are Subash Chander, who was the Assistant Executive Engineer at the time; Kuldeep Kumar Koul, the then Junior Engineer; and Mansoor Ahmed, a contractor from Thathri, Doda. The charges brought against them fall under relevant sections of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and the RPC (codes also mentioned as: section 5(1) (d) read with 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act and 120-B RPC and Svt.2006, 120-B RPC).

The case originated from a Joint Surprise Check (JSC) conducted by the Vigilance Organization Jammu, now known as the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The check was prompted by allegations that the involved public servants, in collusion with the contractor, had abused their positions. They were suspected of allowing the execution of substandard and poor-quality drainage work at Kutan Nallah, Thathri, resulting in significant losses to the state.

During the investigation, the ACB gathered oral and documentary evidence, including reports from its own Engineering Wing and from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jammu. These investigations revealed that the accused had indeed compromised on the quality and specifications of the construction work at Kutan Nallah, Thathri, during the fiscal year 2017-18. It was found that substandard materials were used, and specifications were deliberately ignored, allegedly for personal financial gain.

The ACB's investigation concluded that the accused individuals, by using inferior materials and compromising on construction standards, caused a loss of approximately Rs 9.95 lakh to the government exchequer. The chargesheet is a formal step in the legal process, presenting the ACB's case and the evidence collected to the court for further proceedings.