NC Leader’s Son, Hilal Rather Summoned for Questioning by CBJ
ABRAR MATTOO
SRINAGAR, May 4: Crime Branch Jammu (CBJ) on Thursday summoned Hilal Ahmad Rather, son of former finance minister and three time National Conference MLA from Charar-I-Sharief Abdul Rahim Rather, for questioning in a bank loan fraud case.
According to sources, a DySP level officer in the Crime Branch Jammu questioned Hilal Rather for about two to three hours following the latest developments and revelation of data with regard to his offshore properties.
Sources further told Kashmir Despatch that the new evidence and addition of data may change the direction of case against the accused and he may face the brunt even more now. Hilal Rather was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu in year 2020, and a case related to the alleged misappropriation of crores of rupees from the term loans running into Rs 177 crores sanctioned by Jammu and Kashmir Bank for his ambitious township project known as Paradise Avenue at Narwal Bala Jammu in the year 2012.
Hilal’s father, Abdul Rahim Rather was the finance minister of the erstwhile state in 2012 when the loan was taken from the bank. On 30 December 2020, Hilal secured a bail in the case and almost eight months later, deserted his father’s party, National Conference, and joined Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference.
The questioning of Hilal by Crime Branch comes after a great deal of thaw in his case. When contacted the concerned police officer refused to comment and did not divulge any details to Kashmir Despatch.
