Searches conducted at around 40 locations in arms licensing scam: CBI

Srinagar: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday said that it conducted raids at around 40 locations including official and residential premises of several IAS and KAS officers in a case related to Arms license racket in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Saturday the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that it conducted searches at around 40 locations including Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, Anantnag, Baramulla, Delhi (at the official and residential premises of certain then public servants, including IAS, KAS officers, then DM, then ADM etc), around 20 gun houses, dealers in an on-going investigation of a case related to Arms licence racket.
It reads that CBI had registered two cases on the request of Jammu and Kashmir government and further notification from Government of India, and took over the investigation of FIR No. 18 of 2018 dated 17.05.2018 earlier registered at Police Station Vigilance Organisation Kashmir (VOK) and FIR No. 11 of 2018 dated 17.05.2018 of Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (VOJ) on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licenses in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir during the period 2012 to 2016.
“It was alleged that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to the non-entitled persons. CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of said armed licences allegedly spread over 22 districts of J&K.”
The statement reads that during investigation and scrutiny of documents, the role of certain gun dealers was found in connivance with the public servants i.e. the then DM and ADM of concerned District had allegedly issued such illegal arms licenses to the ineligible persons.
“It was also alleged that the persons who got these licenses were not residents of the places from where the said arms licenses were issued. Further investigation is going on,” it reads