The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out raids in 40 locations across Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi, including the J&K IAS officer Shahid Iqbal Choudhary's residence in Srinagar on Saturday, 24 July, in connection with a gun license racket, news agency ANI reported.
Later in the day, Choudhary tweeted, "With ref to media reports I’ve to confirm that CBI did search my residence & found nothing incriminating in ongoing arms license probe. Media friends may note the probe covers 4 years across all districts. I am fully answerable to CBI for my tenure. (sic)"
In his statement, Choudhary said that the licences issued in the three districts under his tenure 'have been among the lowest by any DMs in any district'.
Premises situated in Udhampur, Rajouri, Anantnag, and Baramulla were also raided in J&K.
MORE ABOUT SHAHID CHOUDHARY
Presently a Secretary (Tribal Affairs) and CEO Mission Youth in the state, Choudhary previously held the post of Deputy Commissioner of Kathua, Reasi, Rajouri, and Udhampur districts.
During this time, he allegedly used fake names to issue thousands licenses to people in other states and UTs.
Besides Choudhary, at least seven other Deputy Commissioners are a part of the CBI probe into the country's biggest gun license scandal. As per a report by NDTV, over 2 lakh illegal gun licenses have been issued from J&K since 2012.
MORE DETAILS
CBI had arrested two officials – IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan and Itrat Hussain Rafiqui – in connection with the scam last year.
Rajasthan's Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had unearthed the scam in 2017, when Ranjan's brother and others working as middlemen for gun dealers were arrested.
The ATS had found over 3,000 arms licenses issued in the name of Army personnel based on fake documents.
Consequently, the case was given to the CBI by former Governor NN Vohra, after the scam was found to be operated by J&K government officers and the former PDP-BJP coalition government was accused of trying to shield the ones responsible.
BJP REACTS
Speaking to NDTV, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur alleged, "These licences were issued during previous regimes."
Further, Thakur said, "CBI should get to the bottom of it who all were given gun licences; who are these people in different parts of the country and Jammu and Kashmir. It should be exposed."
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV)
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