ED alleges nexus in arms licence case

New Delhi, March 28

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said it had seized “incriminating” documents that allegedly indicate transactions between weapon dealers and bureaucrats in issuance of illegal arms licences in J&K between 2012 and 2016.

The agency, which is probing the case under the anti-money laundering law, said it had launched raids against some IAS and Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) officers, junior government officials and arms dealers on March 24 across the Union Territory. Searches have been conducted at 11 locations, including residential premises of IAS officer Rajeev Ranjan (former Kupwara DC), KAS officers Itrat Hussain (former Kupwara DC) and Ravinder Kumar Bhatt (former Kupwara ADC) and former judicial clerks at arms section in the DC office, Kupwara, Tariq Ather and Gajan Singh, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said.

Over 2.7 lakh ‘fake’licences issued

• According to the ED, 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued by “flouting” the prescribed guidelines.
• Initial estimation suggests it led to generation of ‘proceeds of crime’ to the tune of Rs40 crore.

The residential premises of six arms dealers of J&K, including Amarnath Bhargava (Varun Armoury), his brother Mukesh Bhargava (Bhargava Gun House), Surjeet Singh (Deshmesh Armoury), Mohinder Kotwal (Mohinder Kotwal Arms & Ammunition), Manohar Singh (Swaran Arms & Ammunition), and Devi Dayal Khajuria (Khajuria Arms) were also searched, it said. Cash worth Rs 1.58 crore, 1.76 kg gold valued at about Rs 92.30 lakh and “digital exhibits” have been seized, the federal probe agency said.

“Incriminating documents revealing transactions between arms dealers/brokers and government officials have been seized,” it said. The ED case stems from an August 2018 FIR of the CBI wherein it was alleged that bulk issuance of arms licences had taken place in J&K. —