SRINAGAR: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday claimed to have registered a case against the officers and officials of ARTO office Anantnag for allowing touts and agents for preparing driving license and other documents in lieu of bribe.
According to a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a joint surprise check was conducted by ACB, to look into allegations that many touts and agents are operating in ARTO Office Anantnag in league with the officials of ARTO Office for preparation of registration and fitness certificates for heavy commercial vehicles, issuing driving licenses etc. in lieu of bribe.
“During the surprise check conducted on the driving trial test day it was found that most of application forms for issuance of driving licenses were having pencil written codes found to be abbreviations of names of some touts and agents operating in league with the Board members of ARTO Office Anantnag, who actively influence the working of ARTO Office Anantnag. Moreover some applicants who appeared for the driving test revealed that they had paid bribes for issuance of driving licenses through agents/touts for Board members of ARTO Office Anantnag,” the statement said.
“It was found that the Officer/Officials of ARTO Office Anantnag, for their ulterior motives were conducting both driving test trials and fitness test of vehicle in hasty manner just to accommodate the applicants recommended by touts/agents. In addition, social networking chats have been found amongst the touts and ARTO Officials wherein candidate application numbers along with the name of touts have been forwarded to the officials for issuance of certificate/licenses,” it added.
Accordingly, a case FIR number 4/2021 was registered in ACB Police Station Anantnag against the officers and officials of ARTO Office Anantnag and the touts and agents.
During investigation, the search warrants were obtained from the Anticorruption court Anantnag and searches conducted at the residences of ARTO Shabir Ahmad in Qazigund, Motor Vehicle Inspectors Shahid Mehboob at D.K. Marg Kulgam, Manzoor Ahmad at Bemina and Asif Amin at Sanat Nagar, Srinagar.
Moreover, the residential houses and shops of touts and agents Khalid Hakim at Qazibagh Anantnag, Mubarak Bhat at Laisoo Gudder Kulgam, Zahoor Ahmad at Sarnal Anantnag, Aijaz Wagey at Khanbal Anantnag, Nadeem Ahmad @ Nadeem Photostat at Anantnag, Farooq Mir- Nazrana Photosat near DC office Anantnag were searched.
“During searches various incriminating documents were seized,” the statement said, adding that further investigation of the case is going on.