A huge quantity of rice worth over Rs 5 crore, meant for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and other poor beneficiaries, was allegedly embezzled and sold in the open market in connivance with government officials and dealers of nine Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in the Karnah area of the border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu and Kashmir, has registered an FIR at Police Station ACB Baramulla against five officials of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department and nine Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers for their alleged involvement in the large-scale embezzlement and misappropriation of government food grains in the Karnah area of Kupwara district.
The case (FIR No. 02/2026) has been registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla under Section 13(1)(a), read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended), and Sections 61(2) and 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, after obtaining prior approval from the competent authority, namely the General Administration Department (GAD), Government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The case stems from a communication received from the Director, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Kashmir, seeking criminal action against the officials and FPS dealers after departmental inspections and physical verification revealed massive shortages of government food grains.
A joint surprise inspection conducted at government sale centres and Fair Price Shops initially detected a shortage of 4,175.89 quintals of rice at Lountha Granary in Karnah, Kupwara.
A subsequent comprehensive physical verification by a departmental sub-committee, followed by a detailed verification by the ACB, uncovered substantial shortages at various sale centres and fair price shops under the Tangdhar, Karnah-A and Karnah-B circles of Kupwara district. The verification revealed a loss to the government exchequer amounting to Rs 55,718,657.25 (approximately Rs 5.57 crore), allegedly caused through a well-orchestrated criminal conspiracy involving public servants and private beneficiaries.
The officials allegedly dishonestly misappropriated government food grains entrusted to them by abusing their official positions for unlawful pecuniary gain, thereby causing substantial loss to the government exchequer.
Based on the material collected during the verification, the ACB registered the FIR against the accused public servants and FPS dealers for offences relating to criminal misconduct, criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of government food grains and criminal conspiracy. The case, inter alia, involves Umar Bashir, alias Raja Umer, then Assistant Storekeeper; Ashiq Hussain Mir, then Assistant Storekeeper; along with 12 other accused comprising public servants and Fair Price Shop dealers.
Immediately after the registration of the case, searches were launched at multiple locations, and other legal proceedings were initiated in accordance with the law. Further investigation is underway.
Case registered against Tehsildar in illegal land mutation scam
In another case, the Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau registered an FIR against the then Tehsildar, Bijbehara, Ghulam Rasool Bhat; the then Naib Tehsildar, Bijbehara, Fayaz Ahmad Wani; the concerned Patwari, Ghulam Nabi Banday; and others for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent attestation of 162 land mutations in Bijbehara tehsil between 2022 and 2024, involving 1,050 kanals of land.
The case originated from a source-based complaint alleging that the accused officials, in connivance with others, illegally attested mutations involving about 1,050 kanals of land without the execution of registered transfer deeds and without payment of the prescribed registration fee and stamp duty, thereby causing substantial loss to the state exchequer.
Verification conducted by the ACB, supported by reports of the Departmental Vigilance Officer (Revenue), departmental inquiry committees and expert opinion, revealed gross violations of revenue laws and Standing Order 23A.
The verification further disclosed that the purported relinquishment deeds were, in fact, sale transactions disguised to evade registration charges and stamp duty. It also revealed that money was allegedly routed through intermediaries and multiple bank accounts to conceal the transactions.
Based on the material collected during the verification, the ACB found a prima facie case of abuse of official position, criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct. Accordingly, FIR No. 06/2026 was registered at Police Station ACB, Anantnag, under Sections 7 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused officials and others.
Immediately after the registration of the FIR, simultaneous searches were conducted at the residences of the accused after obtaining search warrants from the Court of the Special Judge, ACB, Anantnag.
