The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches against several serving and retired bureaucrats, government officials and arms dealers across Jammu and Kashmir in connection with the alleged issuance of over 2.78 lakh arms licences to ineligible people from 2012 to 2016.
The ED probe is based on a case registered by the Special Crime Branch of the CBI, Chandigarh.
In 11 locations
The searches were carried out at 11 locations, including the residential premises of former Deputy Commissioners Rajeev Ranjan (Kupwara), Itrat Hussain (Kupwara) and Ravinder Kumar Bhatt (Kupwara), besides Tariq Ather and Gajan Singh, both former judicial clerks with the Arms Section, Kupwara Deputy Commissioner’s Office.
The premises of six arms dealers, Amarnath Bhargava (Varun Armoury), his brother Mukesh Bhargava (Bhargava Gun House), Surjeet Singh (Deshmesh Armoury), Mohinder Kotwal (Mohinder Kotwal Arms & Ammunition), Manohar Singh (Swaran Arms & Ammunition) and Devi Dayal Khajuria (Khajuria Arms) were also searched on March 24.
The agency seized several papers, including property documents and those related to transactions between the arms dealers/brokers and government officials. Also, ₹1.58 crore, 1.76 kg of gold worth ₹92.30 lakh and digital exhibits were also seized.
The case pertains to bulk issuance of arms licences. It is alleged that over 2.78 lakh arms licences were granted to various defence and paramilitary personnel by flouting the prescribed guidelines and due procedure, in lieu of illicit monetary consideration paid to the officials through arms dealers and brokers. An estimated ₹40 crore of the proceeds of alleged crime was generated.
