5 former employees get 3 years in jail

A court in Anantnag has sentenced five former officials to three years of simple imprisonment in a case related to misappropriation of foodgrains and empty bags in Pahalgam Circle in 1990.

The Special Judge, Anti-Corruption Court Anantnag, Ms Masarat Roohi, on April 20 convicted Abdul Khaliq Shah (then Store Keeper, Food Supplies Sale Centres Pahalgam and Laripora), Ghulam Nabi Mir (then Store Keeper, Dawatoo and Aru), Muhammad Shafi Rather (then Store Keeper, Ashmuqam), Ghulam Hassan Hajam (then Store Keeper, Katsoo), and Muzaffar Ahmad Bichoo (then Store Keeper, Laripora and Pahalgam).

The accused were found guilty under Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, read with Section 409 of the Ranbir Penal Code, in FIR No. 09/1990 registered at Police Station VOK (now ACB).

Accordingly, the court sentenced the convicts to two years of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act. In default of payment of the fine, each convict shall undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment.

For the offence under Section 409 RPC, the court sentenced them to three years of simple imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh each. In case of default in payment, each convict shall undergo further simple imprisonment for a period of one year.

However, the court directed that both the substantive sentences shall run concurrently.

The case pertains to the misappropriation of food grains and empty bags by the storekeepers of the Pahalgam Circle between April 1989 and September 11, 1989.

The officials were found guilty under Section 5(2) of J & K PC Act-2006 read with section 409 of RPC for misappropriation of food grains and empty bags by the store keepers of Pahalgam Circle for the period from April to 11 September 1989. The case was registered following a complaint filed by Deputy Director Food and Supplies Department Srinagar on November 2, 1989, stating therein about the embezzlement of Food Grains and empty bags to the tune of Rs 364235.84 on the hands of five accused convicted persons, according to prosecution.

After a thorough investigation, a chargesheet was filed on September 9, 2003, and the case proceeded for judicial determination.