NEW DELHI: In a statement issued on Monday, the Enforcement Directorate has said its searches on former IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan and two other ex-deputy commissioners of Kupwara (J&K) besides some arms dealer in the alleged “illegal” arms licences case has revealed generation of ‘proceeds of crime’ to the tune of Rs 40 crore.
“The initial probe has revealed between 2012 and 2016, over 2.8 lakh arms licences were issued to defence and paramilitary personnel flouting rules,” the agency claimed, adding that bribes exchanged in the process were estimated to be around Rs 40 crore through a “conspiracy between government officers and arms dealers.” Further investigation in the case is under progress.
The ED conducted searches across J&K on March 24 in the arms licence investigation, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against some serving bureaucrats and arms dealers. The PMLA case was based on a CBI FIR of 2018.
Besides Rajeev Ranjan, the other two former DCs of Kupwara are from the Kashmir Administrative Service, Itrat Hussain and Ravinder Kumar Bhatt, whose premises were also searched on Thursday last.
Tariq Ather and Gajan Singh, both former judicial clerks at arms section of DC Kupwara office, are co-accused in the case along with 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) – searched by the agency.
The agency said it has seized “incriminating documents” that includes property papers and transaction details of the arms dealers, brokers and government officers. Rs 1.58 crore in cash and 1.76 kg of gold worth Rs 92 lakh were also seized during the raids.
“Bulk issuance of arms licences has taken place in J&K between 2012 and 2016 which saw over 2.78 lakh arms licences issued to various defence and paramilitary personnel by flouting the prescribed guidelines and due procedure in lieu of illicit monetary consideration which was paid to the government officers through arms dealers and brokers,” the agency said. The “initial estimation of proceeds of crime generated in this case is to the tune of Rs 40 crore,” it added.
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NEW DELHI: In a statement issued on Monday, the Enforcement Directorate has said its searches on former IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan and two other ex-deputy commissioners of Kupwara (J&K) besides some arms dealer in the alleged “illegal” arms licences case has revealed generation of ‘proceeds of crime’ to the tune of Rs 40 crore. “The initial probe has revealed between 2012 and 2016, over 2.8 lakh arms licences were issued to defence and paramilitary personnel flouting rules,” the agency claimed, adding that bribes exchanged in the process were estimated to be around Rs 40 crore through a “conspiracy between government officers and arms dealers.” Further investigation in the case is under progress. The ED conducted searches across J&K on March 24 in the arms licence investigation, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against some serving bureaucrats and arms dealers. The PMLA case was based on a CBI FIR of 2018. Besides Rajeev Ranjan, the other two former DCs of Kupwara are from the Kashmir Administrative Service, Itrat Hussain and Ravinder Kumar Bhatt, whose premises were also searched on Thursday last. Tariq Ather and Gajan Singh, both former judicial clerks at arms section of DC Kupwara office, are co-accused in the case along with 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) – searched by the agency. The agency said it has seized “incriminating documents” that includes property papers and transaction details of the arms dealers, brokers and government officers. Rs 1.58 crore in cash and 1.76 kg of gold worth Rs 92 lakh were also seized during the raids. “Bulk issuance of arms licences has taken place in J&K between 2012 and 2016 which saw over 2.78 lakh arms licences issued to various defence and paramilitary personnel by flouting the prescribed guidelines and due procedure in lieu of illicit monetary consideration which was paid to the government officers through arms dealers and brokers,” the agency said. The “initial estimation of proceeds of crime generated in this case is to the tune of Rs 40 crore,” it added. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA