SRINAGAR: In a significant development, Sayeed Mureed Hussain Shah Sahib, a prominent figure from Mendhar, Poonch, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today at the party’s headquarters in Jammu. The event, attended by key party leaders, including JK BJP President Shri Ravinder Raina, marked a new chapter in the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am joining the party on the call of my conscience,” Shah told a gathering at the time of joining the BJP. “I was impressed by the work that took place in the last 10 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Heaping praises on Shah, Raina said he is a very respected man in Mendhar and belongs to the resected Syeds of the region. He said he had been a good officer who contributed to Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah, who retired on May 30, 2023, after a 40-year career in public service, has served Jammu and Kashmir in various capacities. He has been an Assistant Director of Handicrafts, Handloom, General Manager of DIC, Assistant Commissioner of Revenue, Custodian Evacuee Properties, CEO/Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Buildings and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Deputy Resident Commissioner of New Delhi, Deputy Excise Commissioner Executive, and Additional Secretary ARI and Trainings Department.
As Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Buildings and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Shah was instrumental in the foundation and growth of the organisation. He was known for raising significant revenue, implementing welfare schemes, and improving infrastructure to support needy construction workers. His tenure as Deputy Excise Commissioner was marked by transparency in revenue collection, further solidifying his reputation as a public servant dedicated to the welfare of the underprivileged.
However, Shah’s reputation was marred by a corruption case that was subject to significant legal proceedings. On December 21, 2018, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu registered a case (FIR No. 42/2018) against him based on a complaint by Colonel HDS Rainal. The Colonel accused Shah, then serving as Deputy Excise Commissioner (Executive), Jammu, of demanding a bribe of Rs 2,00,000 to renew a wine shop license.
The ACB laid a trap and apprehended Shah red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of independent witnesses. Following his arrest, a thorough investigation was conducted, and the charges were found to be substantiated. Consequently, a chargesheet was filed against Shah under relevant sections of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act in the Court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Jammu.
