Jammu: The CBI on Friday booked former J&K Bank chairman and 18 others for causing a loss of Rs 800 crore to the bank by granting loans in violation of laid down guidelines.

The CBI has booked former chairman Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh and others including the loan beneficiary, REI Agro chairman, Sanjay Jhunjhunwala and vice president and managing director Sandeep Jhunjhunwala.

The case was earlier probed by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir and it had found during its preliminary inquiry that loans worth Rs 800 crore were sanctioned to the group on the basis of fake documents between 2011 and 2013 in violation of guidelines. This caused a loss of Rs 800 crore to the bank, ACB sources said.

The Mumbai-based Mahim branch of the bank had sanctioned Rs 550 crore as loans while the Vasant Vihar branch in Delhi had sanctioned Rs 139 crore in their favour against the supplier bill discounting facility and takeovers.

The loans were granted in violation of guidelines, without tangible security and on fake documents.

The company had approached the bank’s Mahim and Vasant Vihar branches for sanctioning of advances for making payment to farmers as per the terms and conditions laid down in the loan sanction order of the bank.

“The farmers were supposed to provide paddy to the company, in turn the company had to sell the produce (paddy) and the remittance thereof had to be deposited in the bank as instalments against advances received by the company.

“Bank authorities and the company knew that the loan amount had to be disbursed among farmers for production of paddy.

“This was brazenly violated by the company in connivance with the bank authorities who allowed disbursement of loans through joint liabilities groups (JLGs), though the company had already received paddy and was not entitled to disburse the loan under such circumstances.

“As per the probe conducted during preliminary enquiry, the JLG’s were in fact non-existing entities whose credentials and antecedents had never been verified by the bank.

“The objective was to facilitate the company to divert the loan amount for its own benefit.

“The bank also violated NABARD guidelines in which members of JLG’s (which is a group of farmers) should be from the same area/village but this aspect was deliberately and with malafide intentions ignored by the bank’s officers,” the CBI FIR says.

The PE had found that these loans were sanctioned and disbursed by the officials of the J&K Bank branch in Mahim, Mumbai, and Vasant Vihar, in New Delhi, in connivance with and under patronage of then chairman, J&K Bank, Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh under a conspiracy spread over several years. (IANS)

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday issued show cause notice to two employees for allegedly criticizing the administration on social media.

These two employees are working in the UT’s Education Department and one of them is a teacher in middle school in Daptyar in Anantnag district and the other a junior assistant at government high school at Ring Payeen Machil area of Kupwara district.

Director, School Education, has issued show cause notice to them, stating that both of them are involved in objectionable activities on social media and that their behaviour and conduct is in violation of Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules of 1971, as envisaged under Rule 18 (i).

The two have been asked to explain their position within ten days or face action under the rules. (IANS)

Oslo: Several current and former European politicians addressed the Norwegian Nobel Committee with a request to nominate Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and for this reason extend the nomination procedure until March 31.

“We therefore humbly call upon you, the Committee, to consider: Extending and thereby re-opening the nomination procedure for the Nobel Peace Prize until March 31, 2022 to allow for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine,” the statement, dated March 11, said.

The politicians also called on the committee “to re-open and reconsider the 2022 nomination procedure for the Nobel Peace Prize,” according to the statement. This year’s Nobel Prize announcements will take place from October 3-10.

As many as 251 individuals and 92 organizations applied for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. (UNI)

By: Faizan Ahmad

Srinagar: Mohammad Shafi (name changed), a leper patient was left by the family members at the Leper Colony on the outskirts of Srinagar 35-years ago. Since then his loved ones have disowned him.

Shafi, a resident of Ladakh, says he was then 10-year-old when his family members left him there.  Since then his family members or relatives had rarely come there to see him but were reluctant to take him back to the native place.

“My family members have been reluctant to take me back as social stigma is associated with this disease. Now I have only my sister in my family, who is married and could not bear the travel expenses to come to meet me,” he said.

Shafi has also married there but the couple is childless. “Had my family members been taken back, I would not have been here,” he said, in a feeble voice.

About 80 families of the leper patients are living in a secluded colony. The heads of these families have been abandoned by their families or relatives years back.

Mohammad Subhan (name changed) has been staying at the leper colony for the past 25-years. “I am from Jammu. The family members and other relatives came a few times to see me over these years. I consider this place my home and want to die here,” he told news agency KINS

However, he says he seldom goes to Jammu to see his relatives.

It is generally believed that such types of patients carry stigma in social life. Their kith and kin refuse to own them though this disease has been controlled and won’t spread to others.

Most of the lepers are above 50-years of age and are suffering from different ailments like blindness, paralysis and some of them are walking on crutches. The colony was established by Britishers in 1891 for lepers who were ostracized by the society.  Although the government has constructed the houses for these people to live in, mud houses, constructed by the Britishers are still the only shelter for some of them.

Many among the abandoned lepers have married and have children. “We have 30 children here and few are studying in colleges and higher secondary schools. This disease has been controlled now and our children are safe from it,” a native of the colony said.

“Today we feel social stigma is not associated with this disease as people of the surrounding areas come here and interact with us,” he added. (KINS)

Srinagar: J&K Police on Thursday claimed to have solved a theft case by arresting two goldsmiths who purchased the stolen property from a juvenile involved in the crime in Budgam in central Kashmir.

Police said a written complaint was received by Police Post Soibugh from a lady Tasleema Banoo wife of Mushtaq Ahmed Sofi resident of Hanjikpora Soibugh wherein she stated that some unknown person has stolen her golden ornaments from her home.

A case under relevant sections of law was registered and during investigation few suspects were rounded up which led the police team to zero in on one of the prime suspects, who turned out to be juvenile, for questioning. “The suspect was questioned as per juvenile protocols and she confessed her involvement in the commission of crime”, police said.

On her disclosure the stolen property was recovered from two goldsmiths identified as Mohd Qasim Zarqoob resident of Zakoora  and Showkat Ahmad Bhat of Qamarwari, Srinagar.

Subsequently, both the accused jewelers were arrested and the stolen property including seven rings and a pair of Jumka was recovered from their possession.

The juvenile was handed over to her parents and will be produced before honourable court at the time of Challan. Investigation of the case is in progress, police said