Jammu, Mar 03 : The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday suspended a 2010-batch IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan, couple of days after he along with former deputy commissioner Itrit Hussain Rafiqui were arrested in the arms licensing case, officials said.
“In pursuance of Rule 3(2) of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, Additional Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Regulatory Authority, Jammu, holding additional charge of Vice-chairman, Jammu Development Authority, shall be deemed to have been placed under suspension w.e.f 29.02.2020 i.e. the date on which he has been detained in the custody of CBI, SCB, Chandigarh,” reads an order issued by the government here, according to GNS.
Ranjan and former DC Itrit Hussain Rafiqui were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday. Yesterday they were sent to 10-day CBI remand by a designated court in Srinagar.
During investigation, the alleged role of Ranjan and Rafiqui, who had held the position of district magistrate of Kupwara from 2015 to 2016 and 2013 to 2015, respectively, had surfaced, the premier agency had said.
The case pertains to the allegations that during the period 2012 to 2016, then deputy commissioners and district magistrates of various districts of Jammu and Kashmir including Kupwara had fraudulently and illegally issued bulk arms licenses in lieu of monetary consideration, the CBI said.
Meanwhile, government ordered that Vikas Kundal, IAS (JK:2013), Additional Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Srinagar, shall hold the charge of the posts of MD/CEO, Jammu Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and MD/CEO, Srinagar Mass Rapid Transit Corporation, in addition to his own duties, till further orders.
According to a separate order issued here, the government also ordered that Avny Lavasa, IAS (JK:2013), Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, shall hold the charge of the posts of Additional Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Jammu and Vice-Chairman, Jammu Development Authority, in addition to her own duties, till further orders.
