Srinagar, July 6 (NVI): Five officials of Food and Civil Supplies Department of Jammu and Kashmir and 9 Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers in Kupwara district have been booked by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly cheating the exchequer to the tune of over Rs 5.57 crore.
The case originated from a communication by the Director of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (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 in Kupwara district of Kashmir, according to the ACB.
A joint surprise inspection initially found a shortage of 4,175.89 quintals of rice at the Lountha Granary, it said in a statement.
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 statement said.
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.
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 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.
Further investigation is underway. (NVI)
