ARMS LICENCES SCAM
JAMMU: In the infamous Arms Licences Scam, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India vide its communication No. 14033/02/2025-UTS.I dated February 21st, 2025 has returned the incomplete Prosecution Proposal of three IAS Officers namely Yasha Mudgal, IAS (AGMUT: 2007), Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, IAS (AGMUT: 2009) and Niraj Kumar, IAS (AGMUT: 2010) to the Chief Secretary, Government of J&K with a direction to re-submit the Prosecution Proposal within one week again against the three IAS Officers containing the relevant enclosures, DVDs along with authenticated copies of the FIRs, disclosure statement, statements of witnesses, recovery memos, investigation report, executive summary of investigation report, draft sanction order, written statement of defence from the accused officer along with specific comments of the IO to rebut his contentions, opinion and concurrence of the Legal Department, and duly filled in checklist appended to DoP&T’s OM dated July, 28th 2024 to UT Division, MHA New Delhi.
The General Administration Department (GAD) of J&K Government vide its Status Report dated December 27th, 2024 had informed the Division Bench of High Court of J&K and Ladakh in the much publicized PIL No. 09/2012 titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi & Anr. V/s Union of India & Ors that the J&K Government on December 27th, 2024 forwarded its views/comments to MHA with regard to three IAS Officers namely Yasha Mudgal, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary and Niraj Kumar for a final decision in the matter. In the said status report, it was also submitted that with regard to IAS Officer namely PK Pole, the views/comments of UT of J&K are being compiled/formulated and are at the advanced stage of the examination. With regard to IAS Officer Prasanna Ramaswamy G, it was submitted that since the event has occurred in the jurisdiction of UT of Ladakh, it needs further examination with regard to jurisdictional aspect for giving comments in the matter and in this regard, a communication bearing No. GAD-VIGOSP/74/2024-09-GAD (C. No. 7537079) dated 27-12-2024 has been forwarded to MHA for clarification. Similar views were referred in the status report with regard to IAS Officer M. Raju (then District Magistrate Kargil) and GAD flashed communication dated 27-12-2024 to MHA for clarification. With regard to IAS Officers Jitendra Kumar Singh (then District Magistrate Kathua), G Prasanna Ramaswamy (then District Magistrate Kathua) and Ramesh Kumar (then District Magistrate Kathua), it was submitted that the matter is under active examination in the GAD. The MHA in its latest communication bearing No. 14033/02/2025-UTS.I dated February 12th, 2025 addressed to Chief Secretary, Government of Jammu and Kashmir has directed that the CBI’s proposals for grant of prosecution sanction against two IAS Officers namely M Raju (AGMUT: 2005)/the then DM (Kargil) and Prasanna Ramaswamy G (AGMUT: 2010)/the then DM Leh, may be forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India with the Administrative Approval of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
The MHA in its latest status report dated March 8th, 2025 in PIL No. 09/2012 filed pursuant to order dated January 2nd, 2025 passed by the Division Bench of High Court of J&K and Ladakh has informed the Division Bench that it has returned the incomplete prosecution proposal of three IAS Officers with a direction to Chief Secretary, Government of J&K to re-submit the same within one week after supplying the documents mentioned in the communication dated February 21st, 2025. Further, the Chief Secretary of J&K has also been directed vide communication dated February 12th, 2025 that Prosecution Sanction proposal of two IAS Officers who had served in Kargil/Leh be forwarded to the MHA with the Administrative Approval of the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh.
The PIL No. 09/2012 titled Sheikh Mohd Shafi & Anr. V/s Union of India & Ors wherein the Division Bench is monitoring the Arms Licences Scam is coming up for hearing on March 20th, 2025.
