DD Kashir appointments stained by official murder

With the possibility of an insider’s hand in the murder not ruled out, a fresh look is being taken at dossiers of all 114 people appointed to various posts in the Srinagar Kendra by superintendent engineer P.K. Munshi, who has been transferred since.

Officers are also not ruling out the possibility of money having exchanged hands. ‘‘Some appointments were terminated recently (after questions were raised) and that may have led to resentment and the murder,’’ senior officials say.

Appointments to the Kendra cannot be made without ‘‘character antecendent verification’’ by the Home Ministry. ‘‘And these posts were made without any verification,’’ officials said.

A committee comprising senior officials of the Prasar Bharati Corporation and senior officials of the Home Ministry vets antecedents of producers and any one desirous of joining Doordarshan in Kashmir before subjecting candidates to an intensive interview. This is then followed by an investigation by the Home Ministry.

Only last year, Doordarshan had to cancel a programme after they discovered the producer had links with militant organisations.

Doordarshan’s Director General S.Y. Quraishi who returned from Baramulla recently said investigations are being conducted by his department on two fronts: One looking into the circumstances that led to the murder, and the other, a review of the appointments made.