Warrant Issued Against SSP Crime Branch In JKPSC Forgery Case

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- In a rare and striking move, a Jammu court has issued a bailable warrant of Rs. 10,000 against Benam Tosh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of the Crime Branch, for failing to act on a court order in a government recruitment fraud case.

The order was passed on June 25 by Special Judicial Mobile Magistrate Jyoti Bhagat, who noted that the Crime Branch had not complied with a previous directive to register a First Information Report (FIR) against an individual accused of forging documents to secure a government job.

The case stems from a complaint by Ajay Kumar, who alleged that his competitor in the selection process for Assistant Professors in Geography, Mohd Qasim Mir, had submitted fake certificates during the recruitment conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC).

Kumar's complaint detailed how Mir allegedly presented certificates of participation in national and international conferences, but records obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act suggested he was elsewhere on those dates. Kumar also claimed Mir had forged his NCC certificate, tampered with his B.A. marks card, and illegally secured an ALC certificate.

The forgery came to light after Kumar, who had also applied for the same position, filed several RTI applications following his elimination from the recruitment race. He approached the Crime Branch in February 2023, submitting formal complaints and sending copies to senior officials, but said his appeals went unanswered.

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On August 19, 2023, the court instructed the Crime Branch to file an action-taken report. In its response, the Crime Branch acknowledged that an internal inquiry was ongoing and found signs of document manipulation, particularly concerning Mir's NCC certificate. Yet, no FIR was registered against Mir, even as the court noted that the complaint involved cognizable offences requiring mandatory police action.

The court emphasized the binding precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Lalita Kumari case, which makes it clear that police must file FIRs when credible information about a cognizable offence is presented.

After nearly 20 days of inaction following the court's initial order, Kumar filed a contempt petition against the SSP Crime Branch. A showcause notice was previously issued, but the continued delay prompted the court to now issue a bailable warrant against the SSP.

When contacted by Jammu Jottings, SSP Crime Branch Benam Tosh said that the investigation was still underway.

The case has brought attention to recruitment fraud and the slow response of enforcement agencies. For Kumar, the hope is that the latest court order will finally push the authorities to register the case and begin a formal investigation.

The matter continues to raise wider concerns about transparency and accountability in the selection process for government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.

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