Alleged Fraudster Appointed as Junior Engineer in J&K Public Works Department: A Flawed Verification Process?
||Black and White Digital News||
||Parvinder Singh May 20, 2024||
JAMMU: In a development that underscores potential lapses in the verification process, an individual with a criminal background has been appointed as a Junior Engineer (JE) in the Public Works (R&B) Department of Jammu and Kashmir. Hakim Muzamil, the appointee, is currently under investigation for fraud, yet he was able to secure a position after receiving a satisfactory verification report from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Jammu and Kashmir.
*A Troubling Appointment*
Hakim Muzamil, son of the late Hakim Habibullah and a resident of Baghwanpora, Lal Bazar, Srinagar, was recently selected as a Junior Engineer (Civil) under the Physically Challenged Category (HCH) by the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board. His selection came despite an active case against him by the Crime Branch Kashmir, which had previously arrested him for fraud.
The Public Works (R&B) Department issued the final selection list for the Junior Engineer (Civil) UT Cadre on May 3, 2024. This list, advertised under item number 201, notification number 06 of 2022 dated November 11, 2022, included Muzamil’s name following a purportedly satisfactory character and antecedents verification report from the CID J&K.
*Criminal Background and Arrest*
In August 2022, the Economic Offence Wing of the Crime Branch Kashmir arrested Hakim Muzamil, who had been working as a State Level Technical Expert (SLTE) with the J&K Housing Board. He was disengaged from this role after being implicated in fraudulent activities. Despite his disengagement, Muzamil continued to misrepresent himself as an SLTE of the J&K Housing Board, even misusing the official seal.
A formal complaint from the Managing Director of the J&K Housing Board led to an investigation, during which the Crime Branch Kashmir established prima facie evidence of fraud. Consequently, FIR number 67/2022 under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was filed against him at the Economic Offences Wing of the Crime Branch Kashmir.
*Questionable Verification Process*
The appointment order, government order number 131-PW(R&B) of 2024 dated May 3, 2024, stipulates that appointees must declare they have no criminal record and are not facing any criminal proceedings. Despite this, Muzamil was cleared through CID verification form number 99117. This has sparked significant concerns about the robustness and reliability of the CID’s verification process.
Sources also cast doubt on the legitimacy of the HCH category certificate that facilitated Muzamil’s selection, suggesting another layer of potential fraud.
*Implications and Reactions*
The revelation of Muzamil’s appointment has raised alarms about the integrity of the verification system in place. It poses serious questions about how an individual with an active criminal case and a history of fraud could pass the CID’s scrutiny. This incident has prompted calls for a thorough review of the verification process to ensure that such oversights do not recur, thereby protecting the integrity of public office appointments.
*Conclusion*
The case of Hakim Muzamil illustrates significant gaps in the procedural checks intended to prevent individuals with criminal backgrounds from entering public service. The Public Works (R&B) Department and the CID J&K are now under scrutiny for their roles in this oversight. As this story unfolds, it may lead to systemic changes to safeguard against similar occurrences in the future, ensuring that only candidates of impeccable character and integrity serve in public positions.
