Fake job racket: BJP activist fleeces youth in Kupwara
A fake job racket in which six unemployed youth of district Kupwara were duped of Rs 15 lakhs has been busted by police here.
Police have registered a case against a BJP activist, who contested unsuccessfully in the last assembly elections from Kupwara constituency, for duping unemployed youth by promising them jobs in forest department in lieu of money.
“The accused had given fake appointment orders to the youth and even provided them fake identity cards and uniforms of forest guards,” said police officials.
“The unemployed youth were even made to patrol the forests in Jammu division to give them an impression of job in forest department as forest guards.”
The case came to light after a youth, resident of Batpora Hayhama in Kupwara district, went to chief conservator’s office Jammu to get his ‘pending salary’ released.
The officials after seeing his order told him it was fake.
A police officer who is investigating the case told that six youth identified as Firdous Ahmad Khan S/O Mushtaq Ahmad, Zahoor Ahmad Khan S/O Amanullah Khan, Manzoor Ahmad Khan S/O Wafadar Ahmad Khan, Mohamamd Saleem Khan S/O Amanullah Khan, Abdul Rashid Mir, Shabir Ahmad Khan S/O Wafadar Khan and Inayat Ali Khan S/O Liyakat Ali Khan, all residents of Batpora Hayhama, in the age group of 24-32 years, approached police station Trehgam that they were cheated by one Abdul Rehman Lone S/O Abdul Ahad Lone resident of Manwan Awoora in Kupwara who contested last year’s assembly elections on BJP ticket from Kupwara constituency.
“An investigation was taken up in the case after their complaint and subsequently a case vide FIR No. 37 under sections 420, 467 and 471 RPC was registered against BJP leader Abdul Rehman Lone,” said the police officer.
“We have called the said leader in police station and will interrogate him. It was found from the initial investigation that the youth have paid some money to Abdul Rehman by depositing it in his bank account. Preliminary investigations revealed that job orders and identity cards of forest department were fake. Investigations are on. We are examining the records and verifying the documents and have sent the fake appointment orders to the forest department for further verification,” he added.
Complainants told the police that after the assembly elections, Abdul Rehman Lone, projecting himself an influential BJP leader, took from them Rs 2 to 3 lakh each for providing them jobs in forest department. “Seeing his security cover and escort vehicle we came under his influence and paid him around Rs 15 lakhs in cash and by some bank transactions. Last October he took us to a chief conservator’s office in Dogra Hall Jammu after 4 PM and handed over appointment orders of forest guards which purportedly had seal and signatures of secretary forest department, and recommendations of forest minister.
One candidate Zahoor Ahmad Khan was ‘appointed’ under order No. 799, others vide order No. 321 and 322.
“We were taken to forest division Panjtarni and then further to Sidhra forests to perform our duties as forest guards in different forest compartments and made to roam the forests for more than six months. Even we were asked to bring the character verifications from concerned police stations and verifications of documents from the concerned revenue authorities which we did,” the youth said.
“Our documents were deposited in an office in Dogra Hall by Abdul Rehman and his two associates,” said Shabir Ahmad Khan, a complainant.
Among the cheated candidates, 4 are orphan and paid the money to Abdul Rehman Lone after selling their land and jewellery of their sisters and mothers.
When we insisted about our salaries despite performing regular duties and even getting clarification of our documents, we were told by Abdul Rehman that there was financial crunch and government was not in a position to pay salaries,” Shabir Khan added.
“Even Zahoor Ahmad Khan, one among us, was paid one month’s salary amounting to Rs 15200. On this, we went to conservator’s office inquiring that why our salaries are not being released. We were shocked to learn there that our appointment orders and identity cards were fake,” they said.
