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SRINAGAR: The CBI on Friday conducted searches at the residence of nine former bureaucrats, including the residence of former IAS officer Mehboob Iqbal, in Srinagar and Jammu in connection with a case pertaining to a real estate scam.
The agency raided the premises of two then divisional commissioners of Kashmir (including Iqbal); then deputy commissioner, Srinagar; then assistant commissioner, Nazool, Srinagar and then tehsildar, Nazool, Srinagar and the accused (private person/beneficiary) in an ongoing investigation of the case, as per an official release. A special judge had issued the search warrant.
Incriminating documents including conferment of ownership rights, documents pertaining to several immovable properties located at Srinagar, Jammu and New Delhi, fixed deposits of more than Rs 25 lakh, cash of Rs 2 lakh (approximately), keys of six bank lockers and a number of bank accounts have been unearthed, the release added.
The CBI had registered a case — the Roshni scam — on the directions of the J&K high court. It was alleged that ownership rights of state land, measuring around seven kanals and seven marlas, at a prime location in Srinagar were conferred arbitrarily on an ineligible applicant at a throwaway price, causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
It was further alleged that the land category was also arbitrarily changed by the then public servants who were members of the price fixation committee (PFC).
Iqbal was among the prominent bureaucrats in J&K, who had risen to the position of divisional commissioner, Kashmir. Soon after retirement, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contested assembly elections from Bhaderwah constituency in 2014. Though he lost the elections, Iqbal was nominated as general secretary of PDP.
He was also appointed chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) during the BJP-PDP government in the erstwhile state. However, after the PDP-BJP government fell in 2018, Iqbal gave up his primary membership of PDP and joined the National Conference (NC).
(With inputs from agencies)
The agency raided the premises of two then divisional commissioners of Kashmir (including Iqbal); then deputy commissioner, Srinagar; then assistant commissioner, Nazool, Srinagar and then tehsildar, Nazool, Srinagar and the accused (private person/beneficiary) in an ongoing investigation of the case, as per an official release. A special judge had issued the search warrant.
Incriminating documents including conferment of ownership rights, documents pertaining to several immovable properties located at Srinagar, Jammu and New Delhi, fixed deposits of more than Rs 25 lakh, cash of Rs 2 lakh (approximately), keys of six bank lockers and a number of bank accounts have been unearthed, the release added.
The CBI had registered a case — the Roshni scam — on the directions of the J&K high court. It was alleged that ownership rights of state land, measuring around seven kanals and seven marlas, at a prime location in Srinagar were conferred arbitrarily on an ineligible applicant at a throwaway price, causing huge loss to the state exchequer.
It was further alleged that the land category was also arbitrarily changed by the then public servants who were members of the price fixation committee (PFC).
Iqbal was among the prominent bureaucrats in J&K, who had risen to the position of divisional commissioner, Kashmir. Soon after retirement, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contested assembly elections from Bhaderwah constituency in 2014. Though he lost the elections, Iqbal was nominated as general secretary of PDP.
He was also appointed chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) during the BJP-PDP government in the erstwhile state. However, after the PDP-BJP government fell in 2018, Iqbal gave up his primary membership of PDP and joined the National Conference (NC).
(With inputs from agencies)
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