Srinagar, July 24: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday carried out searches at around 40 locations in Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi “in an ongoing investigation of a case related to Arms licence racket.”
The premier investigation agency in its official statement said that searches were conducted at around 40 locations which included “official and residential premises of certain public servants including IAS, KAS officers, former DMs and ADMs etc., around 20 Gun houses, dealers at Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Anantnag, Baramulla, Delhi.”
“CBI had registered two cases on the request of the J&K government and further notification from the Government of India. It had taken over the investigation of two FIRs i.e., No.18 of 2018 dated May 17, 2018 earlier registered at Police Station Vigilance Organisation Kashmir (VOK) and FIR No. 11 of 2018 dated May 17, 2018 of Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licences in the erstwhile State of J & K during the period 2012 to 2016,” the CBI said.
“It was alleged that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to the non-entitled persons. CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of said armed licences allegedly spread over 22 districts of erstwhile J&K state,” the probe agency said in its official statement. “During investigation and scrutiny of documents, the role of certain gun dealers was found. They in connivance with the public servants i.e., the then DM and ADM of concerned district had allegedly issued such illegal arms licences to the ineligible persons. It was also alleged that the persons who got these licences were not residents of the places from where the said arms licences were issued,” the CBI maintained. “Investigation is continuing,” it added.
The Rajasthan ATS had unearthed the scandal in 2017 and had arrested over 50 people for their alleged involvement in the illegal issuance of arms licences. According to the ATS, over 3,000 permits were granted allegedly in the name of army personnel. Based on ATS findings, the then J&K Governor N N Vohra had handed over the matter to the CBI.