Srinagar, Jan 1 (AHN) The Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch on Thursday said it has filed a chargesheet against the accused in a case involving fake appointment orders in the Agriculture Department.

A statement mentioned that the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch Kashmir has filed a chargesheet before the Court of Judicial Magistrate 1st Class, Chadoora, Budgam, against two accused persons in a case related to forged and fake appointment orders in the Agriculture Department, in an alleged attempt to cheat aspirants of government employment.

The statement said the Economic Offences Wing has submitted the chargesheet in connection with FIR No. 43/2021 registered under Sections 420/511, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

The chargesheet has been filed against Showkat Ahmad Hajam, son of Mohd Akbar Hajam, resident of Wagoora, Tehsil Chadoora, District Budgam, and Irshad Ahmad Ahanger, son of Ghulam Mohd Ahanger, resident of Ratnipora, District Pulwama.

According to the statement, the case originated from a communication received from the Deputy Director, Agriculture, alleging that a woman had attempted to join the Directorate on the basis of a fake and invalid appointment order.

It was reported that on November 30, 2019, the woman visited the Agriculture Department office with a photocopy of a purported official communication bearing No. Agri/ESstt-NG/2018-19/8451-53 dated November 22, 2019.

On verification, the communication was found to be fake and fictitious, as it had not been issued by the Directorate. Further scrutiny revealed that the appointment orders referred to in the communication -- Order No. 385/Estt. of 2019 dated April 26, 2019, and Order No. 16/Estt. of 2019 dated January 29, 2019 -- were also forged.

During the course of investigation, it was established that accused Irshad Ahmad Ahanger had obtained the forged communication from co-accused Showkat Ahmad Hajam.

The forged order falsely showed three persons as selected and appointed as orderlies in the Agriculture Department, Kashmir Division.

On the basis of the fake appointment order, one woman from Pathan area of Pulwama district was cheated and induced to believe that she had been legitimately appointed. Acting on this belief, she attempted to join the Agriculture Department, Kashmir, at Srinagar on November 30, 2019.

The investigation further revealed that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy to prepare and use forged appointment orders with the intention of cheating aspirants seeking government employment. Although no monetary transaction or wrongful gain or loss could be established during the investigation, the act constituted an attempt to cheat, thereby attracting Section 511 of the IPC, the statement said.

Accordingly, upon completion of the investigation, the chargesheet has been filed before the competent court of law for judicial determination, the statement added.

AHN

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