3 housing dept officers suspended in corruption case in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended three senior officers of the Housing and Urban Development Department who were booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in a case in 2015. The officers were suspended after a corruption case was registered against them in 2015 by the Vigilance of Kashmir, which was later renamed as ACB.

Jammu:Pending an inquiry, Jammu and Kashmir government has suspended three senior officers of the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) who were booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau in a case in 2015, an official order said on Tuesday. Principal Secretary, HUDD Dheeraj Gupta ordered the suspension of in charge town planner, HUDD Hamid Ahmad Wani, in charge of senior town planning, Srinagar Development Authority Farzana Naqashbandi and Executive Engineer, J&K Lakes Waterways Development Authority, Feroz Ahmad Mir.

The officers were suspended after a corruption case was registered against them in 2015 by the Vigilance of Kashmir, which was later renamed as ACB. Wani was then joint commissioner (Planning), Srinagar Municipal Corporation while Naqashbandi was then divisional town planner, Srinagar Development Authority (SDA). Mir was then posted as assistant executive engineer, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA). During their suspension, the order said Wani would remain attached with the administrative department, Naqashbandi with the office of vice-chairman, SDA and Mir with the office of vice-chairman, LAWDA, Srinagar.

Separately, the government has also placed Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Kumar Bhat under suspension pending an inquiry into his conduct. In an order, Principal Secretary, Home Department, Shaleen Kabra said the SSP would continue to remain attached in the home department during his suspension period. As per official sources, SSP Bhat was booked in a case of impersonation at a police station in Jammu last year on a complaint of a Kashmir Administrative Service Officer.

(PTI)