Srinagar, Nov 09 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against a former Assistant Director of Employment, for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe in exchange for recommending vehicles under the government’s Mumkin scheme.
The investigation, which began following complaints and a verification process, also implicated officials of Himalayan Motors, Tengpora Bypass, Srinagar, the ACB said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The Mumkin scheme, a government initiative aimed at providing financial support for the purchase of light commercial vehicles to help unemployed youth become self-reliant, was reportedly misused by Shabnam Arif Mir, who was the then Assistant Director of Employment and was serving as the nodal officer for the scheme in the districts of Kupwara and Bandipora during 2021-2022.
According to the ACB, Shabnam allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 per vehicle from officials of Himalayan Motors in exchange for processing and recommending their vehicles for the scheme.
Under the Mumkin scheme, the applications of eligible candidates are to be vetted by a District Level Implementation Committee (DLIC), after which the Nodal Officer is responsible for verifying credentials and recommending eligible vehicles. However, investigators revealed that Mir bypassed the established protocols and used her position to solicit bribes.
The ACB probe further revealed that officials of Himalayan Motors, including General Manager Sumeer Pandita and Managing Director Junaid Bashir Beigh, were complicit in the illegal arrangement. The dealership allegedly submitted proforma bills to the nodal officer, along with the fixed bribe money, in exchange for preferential treatment over other dealers.
“Apart from the Rs 10,000 per vehicle, Shabnam Mir is accused of demanding and accepting a total of Rs 4,00,000 in bribes from the sales consultants, which included a sum of Rs 1,39,000 paid through e-transactions into accounts provided by her,” the probe body said.
Following the culmination of the probe, the ACB registered FIR No. 15/2024 under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), against Shabnam Arif Mir, the then Assistant Director Employment for Bandipora and Kupwara, as well as Sumeer Pandita, the then General Manager, and Junaid Bashir Beigh, the then Managing Director of M/S Himalayan Motors.
As part of the investigation, the ACB conducted multiple searches at locations in Bandipora, Kupwara and Srinagar. During these operations, several incriminating documents were seized, further strengthening the case against the accused, the statement said.
The ACB has assured that further investigations are ongoing, with a focus on uncovering the involvement of additional officials and expanding the scope of the inquiry.
It has urged the public to report any further instances of corruption related to the Mumkin scheme or any other government initiative—(KNO)