CBI raids ex-Advisor Baseer Khan’s residence, 41 locations
Srinagar, Oct 12: A week after Baseer Khan was removed as advisor to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Central Bureau of Investigations carried out a raid at his Srinagar residence in connection with issuing of gun licenses to ‘non-entitled persons’, official sources said on Tuesday.
The raids are being conducted in at least 40 locations in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. Searches are underway at the houses of 25 former bureaucrats, officials and private persons, sources said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday conducted searches at around 41 locations including at Srinagar, Anantnag, Banihal, Baramulla, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Kishtwar (Jammu & Kashmir), Leh, Delhi and Bhind (Madhya Pradesh).
The searches were conducted at the official and residential premises of around 14 then public servants including then DMs (IAS/KAS), DIO, Clerks etc; around five private persons (middlemen/agents); around 10 Gun houses/dealers in an on-going investigation of a case related to Arms licence racket.
During searches, incriminating documents including issuance of arms licenses, list of beneficiaries, documents related to investment in FDRs and other sale proceeds, property documents, bank account details, locker keys, diary comprising incriminating details, arms license registers, electronic gadgets/mobile phones and some cash including old currency were recovered, the statement issued to the news agency.
“CBI had registered two cases on the request of J & K Government and further Notification from Government of India, and taken over the investigation of two FIRs i.e No.18 of 2018 dated 17.05.2018 earlier registered at Police Station Vigilance Organisation Kashmir (VOK) and FIR No. 11 of 2018 dated 17.05.2018 of Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licenses in the erstwhile State of J & K during the period 2012 to 2016.”
It was alleged that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to the non-entitled persons. CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of said armed licences allegedly spread over 22 districts of J&K, it said.
The central agency is probing the issuing of large-scale gun licenses that were procured from Jammu and Kashmir by submitting forged documents, including that of armed forces personnel.
Sources said that CBI teams raided the residence of Baseer Khan in Barzulla on Tuesday morning. A large contingent of police was also present along with the raiding teams.
The CBI has not issued any statement on the raid at the residence of the former LG advisor.
Khan was appointed as advisor to Sinha in March last year. He was also advisor to the first Lieutenant Governor of J&K Union Territory Girish Chandra Murmu.
Last week, Khan was relieved from his position as advisor and no reason was cited for his removal.
Khan was the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, when the union government scrapped J&K’s special status and divided the state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
