Rajiv Ranjan Kumar IAS, to face trial in Gun Licences Scam, He was reinstated in 2021 after arrest & suspension,
Jammu Tawi, Jan 31: After six years, the case of massive gun license scam in J&K was transferred to CBI, the Union Government took has now accorded sanction for prosecution of tainted IAS Officer of J&K Cadre Rajiv Ranjan Kumar. The Government of India has accorded the delayed sanction for prosecution of Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Secretary Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, for his involvement in the infamous arms license scam.
In a communiqué, the Department of Personnel & Training, Ministry of Personnel & Training, Government has conveyed to Vishal Sharma, Deputy Solicitor General of India, that it has accorded sanction for prosecution of Kumar Rajeev Ranjan in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2018.
“I am directed to refer to your email dated 23.12. 2024 on the subject mentioned above and to say that an order, conveying grant of sanction against Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, in CBI RCCHGO51201850007, under section 6 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006(1949 A.D) for alleged offences under section 5(2) PC Act, 2006(1949 A.D.) has already been issued on 28. 11. 2024 with the approval of the competent authority,” reads the communiqué.
It is worthwhile to mention that a huge arms license scam involving District Magistrates of various Districts in Jammu & Kashmir was unearthed by the Rajasthan ATS in 2017.
The case was being probed by the J&K Vigilance Organisation under FIR 18 registered on May 17, 2018 before but later the then Governor NN Vohra handed over it to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The investigation revealed that arms licenses in bulk were issued by some District Magistrates in J&K to non-residents on forged documents.
What is the case?
The CBI is investigating a massive scam involving the issuance of over 2.74 lakh gun licences in Jammu and Kashmir between 2012 and 2016.
The CBI is investigating a massive scam involving the issuance of over 2.74 lakh gun licences in Jammu and Kashmir between 2012 and 2016. During this period, district magistrates, deputy commissioners, and licencing authorities allegedly granted these licences in exchange for bribes in crores.
The premier agency had disclosed that licences were fraudulently issued by district magistrates in eight districts of Jammu and Kashmir with 95 percent of these issued in “lieu of monetary consideration” to people serving in different parts of the country and who were neither residents of the erstwhile state nor posted in the respective jurisdiction of the concerned districts.
The districts include Kupwara, Baramulla, Shopian and Pulwama, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Doda. The Bureau is probing the involvement of several high-ranking officials, including IAS officers, in the case. The scam was first uncovered by the Rajasthan police’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) in 2017, and since then, several arrests have been made.
The CBI filed the case in 2018 after getting the nod of the Jammu and Kashmir government and further notification from the central government. The case was being probed by the J&K Police before the CBI was allowed to take over by the then Governor NN Vohra.
Rajeev Ranjan’s arrest, suspension, and reinstatement
Ranjan and a retired officer Itrit Hussain Rafiqui — both had worked as Kupwara DMs — were arrested in the case by CBI on March 1, 2020, following which Ranjan was suspended by the J&K government. At that point, he was posted as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Metropolitan Regulatory Authority and Vice Chairman Jammu Development Authority (JDA).
A year later, in February 2021, the IAS officer was reinstated following recommendations of a review committee. Upon reinstatement, he was posted as additional secretary to the government’s revenue department.
During the CBI’s investigation of the gun licence scam, the alleged role of Ranjan and Rafiqui, who held the position of District Development Commissioner Kupwara from 2015 to 2016 and 2013 to 2015, respectively, had surfaced.
Between 2012 and 2016, deputy commissioners of various districts in J&K had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licenses in lieu of monetary consideration, the probe found.
