ACB presents chargesheet against then ZEO Tangdhar, others

Srinagar|July, 3: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a chargesheet against the former Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) of Tangdhar, Kupwara, and several other officials for the misappropriation of scholarship funds intended for Pahari-speaking and Gujjar-Bakerwal students during the 2010-2011 academic year.
The investigation was initiated following allegations of fraud in the disbursement of these funds, revealing that the accused inflated the number of beneficiary students to obtain excess funds from the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Kupwara. The chargesheet outlines that the accused, including Mohammad Ashraf Bhat (then ZEO), Mohammad Ashraf Paswal (then dealing clerk), Razia Bano, and Shafiqa Rafiq, conspired to insert fictitious names into the scholarship disbursement registers. This fraudulent activity resulted in the misappropriation of ₹8,30,200, which was meant for scholarships, thereby causing significant financial loss to the state. Investigations uncovered over 600 fictitious names for Pahari-speaking students and more than 150 for Gujjar-Bakerwal students in the disbursement records. The accused misled local officials, including the then MLA of Tangdhar, into believing that the scholarships had been distributed to legitimate students. Additionally, one of the accused, Mohammad Ashraf Paswal, was found to have directly received ₹5,00,000, which he later withdrew in cash. The ACB has previously charge-sheeted Paswal in a separate case concerning disproportionate assets, which is currently under trial. Following the completion of investigations and the acquisition of prosecution sanctions, the chargesheet against all four accused was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Court in Baramulla. The accused were presented in court and released on personal bond, with the next hearing scheduled for September 10, 2025.