Srinagar, July 6 (NVI): The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday registered an FIR against five officials of the Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department and nine Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers for their alleged involvement in a Rs 5.57 crore government food grain embezzlement case in Karnah area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
According to an official statement, the FIR (No. 02/2026) has been registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) after obtaining prior approval from the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The case originated from a communication by the Director, FCS&CA Kashmir, seeking criminal action after departmental inspections and physical verification detected large-scale shortages of government food grains at Lountha Granary and several Fair Price Shops in Karnah.
A joint surprise inspection initially found a shortage of 4,175.89 quintals of rice at the Lountha Granary. Subsequent verification by a departmental sub-committee and the ACB revealed further shortages at government sale centres and Fair Price Shops falling under Tangdhar, Karnah-A and Karnah-B circles, causing an estimated loss of Rs 5,57,18,657.25 to the government exchequer.
The ACB alleged that the shortages were the result of a well-planned criminal conspiracy involving public servants and Fair Price Shop dealers who misappropriated government food grains entrusted to them by abusing their official positions for unlawful financial gain.
The FIR names five FCS&CA officials and nine FPS dealers, including then Assistant Storekeepers Umar Bashir alias Raja Umer and Ashiq Hussain Mir, besides other accused.
Following registration of the case, the ACB has launched searches at multiple locations and initiated further legal proceedings. The investigation is underway.
The ACB reiterated its commitment to combating corruption and urged the public to report corruption-related information through its helpline or official email. (NVI)
