Arms licence case: Former Kupwara DMs sent to police custody

A special CBI court sent two former DMs of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara to police custody in connection with illegal arms licenses case.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kadhmir): A special CBI court on Wednesday sent, to 10 days police custody, two former District Magistrates of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara arrested in connection with illegal arms licenses case.

IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan and Kashmir Administrative Service officer Itrit Hussain Rafiqi had been District Magistrates of Kupwara from 2013-2015 and from 2015-2016, respectively. The agency last week had arrested a private person, Rahul Grover in connection with the scandal.

The CBI had registered a case on the consent of Jammu and Kashmir government and further notification from the Central government in 2018 and taken over from the state police the case that during the period 2012 to 2016, the District Magistrates of various districts of J&K including Kupwara had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licenses in lieu of a monetary consideration.

"During the questioning of Grover, the alleged role of both officers surfaced during their tenure as District Magistrate, Kupwara (J&K)," an agency official said.

(IANS report)