The CBI on Wednesday filed two charge sheets against 15 accused in a special court here in the J&K gun licence scam, where a large number of arms licenses were allegedly issued to ineligible persons in violation of rules during 2012-16.
A CBI spokesman said that the agency registered a case in 2018 at the request of the then J&K government, and after notification of the DoPT, transferring the investigation of the case under FIR No 18 of 2018, dated May 17, 2018, registered by the Vigilance Organisation Kashmir (VOK) to it.
“The matter pertains to the issuance of a large number of arms licences to ineligible persons without due process from 2012 to 2016. One of the charge sheets was filed under various sections of the RPC, PC Act & Arms Act against 10 accused including the then District Magistrate, Kupwara, 4 gun house dealers and middlemen, while another charge sheet was filed under similar sections against the then ADM, Kupwara and 4 others, including gun house dealers and middlemen, for issuance of large number of such licences to ineligible persons,” the spokesman said.
The CBI investigation disclosed the nexus of the then Licensing Authority/District Magistrate with middlemen and gun house dealers, the spokesman said, adding that in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, the dealers lured the defence personnel, posted at faraway places, and got their arms licence issued from Kupwara in an illegal manner despite those personnel neither being residents of J&K nor posted in the district, and all this without police verification.
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“Alleged illegal gratification per licence was sought and collected by the gun house dealers and middlemen. Issuance of a large number of arms licences in a border district like Kupwara in an illegal manner to ineligible persons is a matter of grave concern and poses a serious threat to law & order and public safety. Further investigation is going on,” the spokesman said. (IANS)
