CBI said bribes of Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakhs were paid for sub-inspector jobs in Jammu and Kashmir Police
Jammu and Kashmir Police sub-inspector posts were sold for Rs 20 to 30 lakh in the recruitment exams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said after conducting searches at 36 places across six states yesterday.
The selection list comprising 1,200 candidates was scrapped in July this year after massive protests broke out over allegations of gross irregularities in the recruitment process. This was the first major recruitment drive in the police force after Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its statehood and special status in 2019.
"Investigations have revealed that Rs 20 to Rs 30 lakhs were paid by some candidates and their families to the accused in order to access question papers," CBI said in a statement, after raids were carried out in Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Bengaluru, Gaziabad, Karnal, Mahendergarh, Rewari and Gandhidham.
The central agency took up the investigation last month. So far, officials of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB), teachers and touts have been found involved in the recruitment scam.
"Involvement of a gang domiciled in Haryana, certain teachers of Jammu and Kashmir, some serving as well as retired personnel of CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and JKSSB has come to light," said CBI.
Following protests by thousands of job aspirants, a probe panel headed by RK Goyal, the Additional Chief Secretary for Home, Jammu and Kashmir, found largescale corruption and manipulation of the merit list for recruitment of sub-inspectors. Mr Goyal recommended cancellation of the merit list and a probe into the scam. Subsequently, Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Jammu and Kashmir, ordered a CBI inquiry and cancelled the selection process.
Commenting on the alleged scam and the CBI inquiry, Mr Sinha said he had established a transparent recruitment system and gone were the days when jobs were sold. However, critics allege that it is under his watch that irregularities in various recruitment processes have come to light. Besides the police recruitment scam, irregularities in the recruitment of Financial Account Assistants and Civil Services exams have also surfaced and these cases are currently being probed by the CBI.
On August 3, CBI registered a case against 33 accused, including a medical officer with the Border Security Force (BSF), a former member and an official of JKSSB, a former CRPF official, an assistant sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police, owner of a coaching centre at Akhnoor, a private company based in Bengaluru and some other persons. CBI officials said the office of the former Chairman and Controller of JKSSB was among the 36 locations that were raided yesterday.
So far, three recruitment exams conducted by JKSSB have been cancelled following allegations of gross irregularities.
Yesterday's raids were the second-biggest crackdown by CBI on Jammu and Kashmir officials, after CBI searched 40 locations last year in connection with India's biggest arms licensing racket. Several district magistrates were accused of illegally selling 2.78 lakh arms licences.