The Jammu and Kashmir High Court rejected the bail application of a police officer and his son who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in November 2022 in connection with the infamous J&K Police Sub-Inspector recruitment scam.
Assistant Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police Ashok Kumar and his son Jaisuriya Sharma moved a joint bail application in the Court. Citing health reasons, the police officer has moved the bail application.
Justice Mohan Lal dismissed the joint bail application and termed it "misconceived under the law".
"I am of the considered opinion that at this stage when the investigation is yet to be completed, it is the fittest case where bail ought not to be granted and the petitioners/accused too have failed to carve out a strong case for bail in their favour," the judge said in his 10-page order.
Out of 33 accused, 20 have been arrested so far
CBI had registered a case on 03.08.2022 on the request of the J&K Government against 33 accused including the then Medical Officer, BSF Frontier Hqrs, Paloura; then Member, JKSSB; then Under Secretary, the then Section Officer (both of JKSSB); ex-official of CRPF, ASI of J&K Police; owner of a coaching center, Akhnoor; private company based at Bengaluru; private persons and unknown others in connection with this scam.
The written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors in the J&K Police was conducted by the J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) on 27.03.2022. The results were declared on 04.06.2022. There were allegations regarding malpractices in the examination.
The J&K Govt had constituted an Inquiry Committee to look into the same. It was alleged that the accused entered into conspiracy amongst officials of JKSSB, a Bengaluru-based private company, beneficiary candidates, and others, and caused gross irregularities in the conduct of written examination for the posts of Sub-Inspectors.
It was further alleged that there was an abnormally high percentage of selected candidates from the Jammu, Rajouri, and Samba districts.
"Violation of rules by JKSSB was allegedly found in assigning the task of setting question paper to Bengaluru-based private company. The investigation has revealed that the alleged payment of Rs.20 to 30 lakh(approx) by willing candidates and their families to the accused for accessing the question paper before the commencement of the examination", the CBI had earlier stated.
Rs 30 lakh charged from each candidate for the question paper.
Question papers for the recruitment of Sub-Inspectors in Jammu and Kashmir were sold at the rate of Rs 30 lakh for each candidate by a Haryana-based tout who was in touch with one Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of J&K Police.
This gang was not only involved in committing fraud in the exams of Sub-Inspectors but question papers of Junior Engineer (Civil) were also sold to some influential candidates who were ready to pay the amount.
The ASI of J&K Police Ashok Kumar, then posted at Jammu city's Nowabad Police Station as Munshi and presently at Kanachak Police Station, a resident of Chodraywalla, Pallanwalla was one of the kingpins in the scam.
The police officer and his son were arrested on November 6 and 9, respectively, by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for their alleged active role in the recruitment scam and were among 33 persons charge-sheeted by the central probe agency on November 12 last year.
The Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) conducted the recruitment examination in March but the list of 1,200 selected candidates, along with that of 1,300 junior engineers and 1,000 finance account assistants, was canceled by the administration in July following allegations of paper leak and malpractice.
