Srinagar, July 31: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has summoned 552 candidates selected in the 2020 recruitment process for Firemen and Fireman Drivers in the Jammu and Kashmir Fire & Emergency Services Department to undergo fresh height measurements as part of its ongoing investigation into alleged recruitment irregularities.
According to the ACB, the candidates have been directed to appear for the physical verification on scheduled dates at designated venues. The exercise forms part of the bureau’s investigation into alleged manipulation and fraud in the recruitment process conducted in 2020.
The recruitment has remained under scrutiny after the government ordered a criminal investigation into allegations of paper leakage, manipulation of merit lists, and other irregularities. The ACB registered an FIR in the case after a government-appointed inquiry committee recommended a detailed probe.
The bureau’s earlier investigation alleged that the recruitment process was manipulated by awarding the examination contract to an ineligible agency while bypassing the lowest eligible bidder. It also claimed that manual verification of OMR sheets revealed major discrepancies, with several candidates allegedly shown to have secured significantly higher marks than they had actually obtained. Investigators further flagged instances of relatives of department officials and candidates from the same localities figuring in the selection list.
The latest height verification is aimed at examining whether the selected candidates met the prescribed physical eligibility criteria at the time of recruitment. Officials said further legal action would be taken based on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
