Srinagar, May 5 (IANS) The J&K Police’s Crime Branch said on Tuesday that it has arrested a government employee involved in a fraud case of forgery and illegal appointments.

Officials of the Crime Branch Jammu said that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) Kashmir of Crime Branch Jammu and Kashmir has arrested a Health Department employee in connection with a long-pending fraud case involving alleged forgery and illegal appointment.

The arrest was made in FIR No. 19/2017, registered under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the Ranbir Penal Code at Police Station Crime Branch Kashmir, now designated as EOW Kashmir.

The accused has been identified as Shahnawaz Ahmad Mir, a Senior Assistant in the Health Department and a resident of Tankipora Shaheed Gunj in Srinagar.

The case stems from a communication received from the Deputy Director of Health Services, Kashmir, which flagged that Bashir Ahmad Sofi, a resident of Mazhama Budgam, had fraudulently secured his appointment as a Health Educator.

The communication alleged that the appointment was obtained by producing forged transfer orders along with a fabricated Last Pay Certificate. Investigations revealed that the accused had illegally entered government service at Block Sheeri in Baramulla and subsequently drew a salary, resulting in wrongful loss to the state exchequer.

Officials said that during the course of the investigation, Shahnawaz Ahmad Mir’s role surfaced in facilitating or being linked to the fraudulent process. He has been described as a habitual offender, with involvement in multiple similar cases that are either under investigation or have already been charge-sheeted.

The case highlights alleged irregularities in appointment procedures and document verification within the department, prompting further scrutiny by investigative agencies. Officials said further investigation in the present case is ongoing to establish the full extent of the fraud and identify other possible links.

The Crime Branch is the investigation wing of the J&K Police that investigates special crimes for which the territorial police have dedicated teams of investigators.

–IANS

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