CBI files 2 chargesheets against 15 accused in J&K arms licence scam

JAMMU: The CBI on Wednesday filed two charge sheets against 15 people, including a former district magistrate and an additional district magistrate of Kupwara, in connection with the issuance of firearm licences to ineligible candidates in violation of rules during 2012-16.

In the charge sheets filed before a special court in Srinagar, the CBI submitted its findings on around 15,000 such licences issued allegedly based on forged documents.

One of the two charge sheets is on the alleged role of the then-district magistrate Itrat Hussain Rafiqima and nine other people, including four gun house dealers and a middleman. The second one pertains to the alleged role of ADM Ravinder Kumar Bhat and four others, including gun house dealers and middlemen.

The CBI registered the case in 2018 at the request of the then-state government of Jammu and Kashmir. The matter pertains to the issuance of a large number of arms licences to ineligible people without following the due processes between 2012 and 2016.

“An investigation disclosed the nexus of the then licensing authority or district magistrate with middlemen and other gun house dealers,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

The official said in furtherance of the criminal conspiracy, the gun house dealers lured defence personnel posted at far away places in the country and got their arms licences illegally issued from district Kupwara without police verification as those personnel were neither residents of the state nor posted in the district.

The CBI alleged that illegal gratification per licence was sought and collected by the gun house dealers and middlemen.

“The illegal issuance of a large number of arms licences in a bordering district like Kupwara to ineligible persons is a matter of grave concern and poses a serious threat to law and order and public safety,” the spokesperson said.

It is alleged that over 2.5 lakh such licences were issued based on forged documents.