JAMMU: The Jammu bench of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to file an action-taken report conveying its final decision about the prosecution sanction of IAS officers in the arms licences scam before the next hearing. CBI is investigating the case.
In their plea, the petitioners highlighted the lackadaisical approach of J&K govt in not forwarding the prosecution proposals of eight IAS officers against whom CBI — after completing the probe — had sought prosecution sanction to file chargesheets in designated CBI courts.
During the hearing of the PIL, advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed — appearing for the petitioners — pointed out to the division bench comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M A Chowdhary its Jan 2 order, wherein MHA was granted time to file its status report about action taken on the comments of the Union Territory of J&K sent on Dec 27, 2024, about three IAS officers.
Advocate Ahmed alleged that the delay was deliberate on part of both MHA and J&K govt, as the ministry had failed to comply with the division bench’s directions issued on Jan 2, 2025. He argued that while CBI had sought prosecution sanction against eight IAS officers, yet J&K govt was trying to shield the high-profile officers even as CBI, after a thorough investigation, had prima facie established a case against them.
On Jan 1, Govt of India had accorded sanction for prosecuting revenue secretary Kumar Rajeev Ranjan in the case.