J&K revenue secretary to become first IAS officer to face trial in ‘gun licence scam’

Comes after the J&K HC’s criticism of ‘selective prosecution’ in the case pertaining to over 2.75 lakh illegal gun licences

Agencies estimate the alleged scam to run into more than Rs 100 crore. (Representative image)

3 min readJammuJan 1, 2025 07:34 AM IST First published on: Jan 1, 2025 at 07:20 AM IST

The central government has allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation to prosecute Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Secretary Kumar Rajeev Ranjan for alleged irregularities in granting gun licences, making him the first IAS officer against whom such a prosecution sanction has been granted in the case.

According to sources, the sanction to prosecute the IAS officer was granted through an order dated November 28, 2024, in a case registered by the CBI under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006.

The CBI is probing irregularities in granting over 2.74 lakh gun licences between 2012 and 2016 — when J&K was still a state — by district magistrates (DMs), deputy commissioners and licencing authorities for “monetary considerations”. Agencies estimate the alleged scam to run into more than Rs 100 crore.

In October, the CBI told the court that it was still awaiting prosecution sanction against 16 erstwhile District Magistrates (13 IAS officers and three KAS officers) who, during their posting in different districts of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, had issued gun licences “illegally” to “ineligible people” across the country.

On November 25, a Division Bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice M.A. Chowdhary had expressed displeasure over “selective prosecution” in the case, observing that while the CBI had already concluded its investigation, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had yet to sanction their prosecution.

Significantly, the prosecution sanction is necessary to prosecute public servants such as IAS officers under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In particular, the Bench had also referred to the case of Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, formerly the Kupwara district magistrate, against whom CBI had registered a case on October 16, 2018.

Earlier this year, Ranjan, father Kripa Shankar Roy, and brother Jyoti Ranjan, were among nearly two dozen people — including serving and retired government officials, gun dealers and middle men — against whom Enforcement Directorate filed a complaint for prosecution in the Court of Special Judge for CBI Cases on charges of money laundering.

In its prosecution complaint, the ED had said that the accused had directly hampered the security of the state, and sought action against them under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 and confiscation of their moveable and immoveable properties.

“The proximity of Jammu and Kashmir from the borders with the neighbouring nations, coupled with the issuance of arms licenses in violation of the laid down rules and regulations evidences the fact that not only wrongful gains have been made by the accused, but their actions have directly hampered the security of the state, as such licenses were in certain instances used for illegal purchase/issuance of arms as well,’’ the ED has said in its complaint.