SRINAGAR: Within hours of the Chief Minister insisting that fair selections must happen, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered an FIR in connection with alleged irregularities and corruption in the selection process for Fireman/Fireman Drivers in the Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES) Department, Jammu & Kashmir. The action follows a comprehensive inquiry and a communication received from the General Administration Department (GAD) on July 24, 2024, which recommended a criminal investigation into the matter.
The inquiry committee, formed by the government, had found significant discrepancies and recommended a thorough investigation into allegations of paper leakage and other irregularities in the recruitment process.
The investigation revealed that the initial recruitment process for Fireman and Fireman Drivers began in 2013, with the issuance of Advertisement Notice No. 01 of 2013. However, due to issues with the selection process, the government had to cancel the recruitment in 2016. In 2018, the recruitment process was revived, following the directions of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, and a new Transparent Recruitment Process (TRP) agency was engaged through an open bid system. Hyderabad-based M/s Timing Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. was initially chosen to conduct the physical and written examinations but was replaced after allegations of mass copying in the 2019 examination.
In 2020, a fresh recruitment process was initiated, and six TRP agencies participated in the tendering process. However, the bid was awarded to M/s LMES IT LLP, Jammu (L-2 bidder), despite their higher quoted price and lack of proven experience in conducting such exercises. The investigation further revealed that the agency was linked to Maharaj Krishan Wali, who had previously worked as a resource person for M/s Timing Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
The selection process, which took place in September 2020, saw the selection of 690 candidates, but the inquiry uncovered several discrepancies. Among the irregularities were instances where candidates were shown to have secured higher marks than they actually achieved, with some candidates, including several relatives of F&ES department officials, selected despite not meeting the cutoff marks. Additionally, it was revealed that five brothers from Budgam were selected in the same recruitment process, raising further questions about favouritism and manipulation.
The investigation points to a coordinated effort between members of the Departmental Recruitment Board, the Technical Committee, and M/s LMES IT LLP, led by Maharaj Krishan Wali, to manipulate the selection process for personal gain. The officers and officials involved are accused of abusing their positions and forging records to ensure the selection of undeserving candidates.
Based on these findings, the ACB has filed a case under sections 7, 13(1)(a) & 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, along with various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 120-B, 420, 467, 468, and 471. The investigation is ongoing, and further legal action will follow against those found guilty.
