The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Sunday again raided the J&K Bank’s corporate headquarters here to probe allegations of “corruption” and “misconduct” by the bank higher ups. Earlier, on Saturday the ACB sleuths had raided the bank headquarters immediately after Parvez Ahmad Nengroo was removed from the position of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of J&K Bank.
A spokesman of the bureau in a statement said that thesearches of the premises of J&K Bank which started yesterday afterregistration of FIR by Anti Corruption Bureau, were concluded on Sunday.
“In continuation to registration of case FIR 10/2019 on8.6.2019 under Prevention of Corruption Act on outcome of a written complaintreceived in ACB, Hqrs. J&K, to look into the allegations relatedillegal/fraudulent appointments made, the searches of premises of CorporateOffice J&K Bank Head Quarters concluded today and during search operationsdocuments/discriminatory (sic) material pertaining to the appointments wereseized,” the statement read, adding that further investigation “is going on andquestioning of accused/suspects will follow.”
A senior ACB official informed Greater Kashmir that as partof the probe, “search was carried out on the second day also at the bank’scorporate headquarters at Dalgate, here.” However, he refused to divulge anydetails regarding the progress, if any, made in the probe. “After properscrutiny of the documents and incriminating material, the ACB will submit acomprehensive report,” he said.
“The bureau,” he said, “was looking for records pertainingto nearly 1200 appointments made in the bank allegedly at the behest ofpolitical masters of the previous PDP-BJP dispensation in the state duringParvez’s tenure as Chairman.” Some bank officials said the bureau’s sleuthsarrived early in the morning on Sunday and conducted searches for the secondtime at the bank’s headquarters. They were accompanied by police personnel.
They said the ACB officials checked files and documentsrelated to the appointments.
The government Saturday sacked Parvez Ahmad and replaced himwith an interim Chairman cum Managing Director, R K Chibber who was ExecutivePresident of the bank. Earlier, the ACB had said that the complaint received byit alleged commission of criminal misconduct by J&K Bank officers. “Thisconstitutes offence under section 5(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption ActSamvat-2006 which is punishable under section 5(2) of the Act. A case FIR10/2019 was registered in P/S Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Central Kashmir inSrinagar and investigation taken up,” the spokesman said.