The Hindu : Vigilance registers case against Farooq's brother

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 31, 2003

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Vigilance registers case against Farooq's brother

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR DEC. 30. For the first time since the People's Democratic Party-led Government came to power, the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) has registered a case against a Minister in the previous Government.

A senior SVO official said that a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy had been registered against Mustafa Kamal, younger brother of the former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah, and former Minister for Industries and Commerce and Mohammad Aslam Qureshi, the then vice-chairman of the Jammu Development Authority.

The FIR says that the Vigilance Organisation had reliably learnt that the Pragati Bhawan commercial complex near Rail Head was allotted in favour of the Madr-e-Meharban Institute of Health Sciences, Jammu, on a monthly rent of Rs. 1.25 lakhs against the monthly rent of Rs. 2.5 lakhs charged earlier from the management of the KHN hospital by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA).

It said the Board of Directors of JDA subsequently approved the monthly rent at the rate of Rs. 1.25 lakhs for the basement, ground floor and first floor of the Bhawan. The management of Madr-e-Meharban headed by its president, Dr. Kamal, in connivance with Mr. Qureshi and others, had illegally occupied the remaining portion of the Bhawan comprising two more floors and a canteen block against the same advance payment of Rs. 3.75 lakhs at the rate of Rs. 1.25 lakhs per month.

It was evident after the expiry of three months that the occupation of the building was illegal but the JDA had neither taken any action for eviction nor had taken any steps for the recovery of outstanding rent against the allotted portion of the building from the management of Madr-e-Meharban, which speaks of criminal silence on the part of both the then VC, JDA as well as the president and management of the Madr-e-Meharban Institute.

The SVO alleged that Mr. Qureshi and the others, by sheer abuse of their official position after entering into a criminal conspiracy with Dr. Kamal, had given pecuniary benefits by allowing the management of said institute to occupy the un-allotted portion of the Bhawan for commercial purpose to run a health education course, thereby causing a huge loss to the JDA. The investigation of the case is under process, the official said.

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Vigilance registers case against Farooq's brother