Srinagar, March 8 (NationPress) - The Crime Branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police announced on Sunday the submission of a charge sheet against seven individuals in court, citing infractions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A statement from the Crime Branch Kashmir revealed, “The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir has presented a charge sheet in FIR No. 43/2018 before the Hon’ble Court of Special Anti-Corruption Judge Baramulla, addressing offenses under Sections 420 and 120-B RPC in conjunction with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act.”

This case emerged from a formal complaint alleging the misappropriation of government funds allocated for constructing a school building in the village of Hampora Kralgund, as part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Scheme.

Initially, the project was approved for the construction of a school building, including a kitchen, toilet, and ramp. However, investigations revealed that although an amount of Rs 5,73,592 had been disbursed through various cheques by the former ZEO Langate, primarily routed through the 1st Teacher of Primary School Hampora, the required works were not completed as per the established guidelines.

“In reality, only the structure of the school building was present, while the kitchen block, toilet, and ramp remained unconstructed despite the funds being released. The investigation further uncovered that the accused officials, in collaboration with the contractor, orchestrated a well-planned criminal conspiracy, awarding the contract in contravention of SSA protocols, despite the need for construction to be carried out by members of the Village Education Committee (VEC),” the statement added.

The project's site plan was also altered to benefit the accused, deviating from the original design of a three-room school with a separate kitchen, toilet, and ramp, resulting in the construction of a double-storey building with four rooms instead. Moreover, even after the building's completion, the contractor failed to transfer possession to the Education Department, while the relevant officials intentionally avoided taking control, allowing another accused to unlawfully occupy the premises, according to the statement.

“Based on the evidence gathered throughout the investigation, violations of pertinent legal provisions have been established against the accused parties, and the case has been submitted to the appropriate court for judicial review.

“The Economic Offences Wing Kashmir is steadfast in its commitment to fighting corruption and protecting public resources through rigorous legal measures,” the statement concluded.