SRINAGAR: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Tuesday registered a case against the former officials of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Hilal Ahmad Rather after it was found that the JDA had illegally approved the construction of an Information Technology (IT) Park in favour of Rather on the back-dated site plan for the three-storey building. A statement of the ACB issued here said that it registered a case under FIR No 06/2024 of the Police Station ACB, Jammu, under Section 5 (1) (d) read with 5 (2) of J&K PC Act Samvat, 2006, and 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) against the officers and officials of Enforcement Wing, then Chief Town Planner and then Vice Chairman of JDA as well as the beneficiary Rather. It said that the case had been registered on the outcome of a verification to look into the allegations that JDA had illegally approved construction of the IT Park in favour of Rather on the back-dated site plan for a three-storey building while knowing the fact that there was no provision to regulate an illegal construction. The statement said that the verification conducted revealed that back-dated permission was granted for the construction of the IT Park in favour of Rather by the Building Officials and Codes Administrators (BOCA) of JDA with the condition that the building should be used only for IT purposes. It said that after obtaining NOCs, Rather started construction of the building and constructed the 5th floor and porch in front, which was a violation of the sanctioned plan. The statement said that it also violated the code by constructing G+1 on the rear side. It said that the verification revealed that the then Chief Town Planner as well as the then Vice Chairman of JDA, by abuse of their official positions and in criminal conspiracy hatched among themselves as well as Rather, intentionally remained silent spectators. The statement said that they did not perform their duties, as a result of which Rather succeeded in the construction of the 5th storey with the porch without obtaining permission. It said that this violated the sanctioned plan, causing wrongful loss to the government exchequer. “These acts of omission and commission on the part of officers and officials of Enforcement Wing as well as Rather and others constitute offences punishable under section 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of the J&K PC Act Svt 2006 and Section 120-B of the RPC,” the statement said.
