The Ministry of Home Affairs is said to be ‘actively considering’ the CBI’s request for grant of sanction to prosecute eight IAS officers in the multi crore gun licence scam in J&K
The case is being adjudicated by the division bench of the high court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh in a public interest litigation titled Sheikh Mohammad Shafi versus Union of India and others.The MHA, in its status report of August 6, informed the division bench that it has received proposals for grant of prosecution sanction from J&K government against IAS officers vide letters dated May 27, 2025; July 4, 2025 and July 25 2025.
The Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) Vishal Sharma with Central Government Standing Counsel A C Koul, who appeared for Union ministry of home affairs (MHA), informed the division bench comprising the chief justice Arun Palli and justice Rajnesh Oswal that a necessary affidavit in terms of an order dated October 9 has been filed.
DSGI Vishal Sharma further submitted that J&K government and the CBI, vide communications on September 26 and October 14, have submitted their respective replies to the clarifications that were sought by the MHA. “Currently the matter is under active consideration of the MHA and a formal decision in this regard is likely to be reached in the immediate future,” DSGI Vishal Sharma submitted before the division bench.
The DSGI, on behalf of the MHA, sought a short accommodation and his prayer was accepted by the division bench.The MHA, in its status report of August 6, informed the division bench that it has received proposals for grant of prosecution sanction from J&K government against IAS officers vide letters dated May 27, 2025; July 4, 2025 and July 25 2025.
The IAS officers are P K Pole, the then district magistrate (DM), Udhampur; M Raju the then DM, Kargil; Yasha Mudgal,the then DM, Udhampur and then DM, Baramulla; Jitendra Kumar Singh,the then DM, Kathua and then DM, Rajouri; Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary , the then DM, Udhampur; Niraj Kumar, the then DM, Udhampur and then DM Pulwama; Prasanna Ramaswamy , the then ADM Kathua and then DM, Leh and Ramesh Kumar ,the then DM, Kathua.
The MHA further in its status report had informed the division bench that on August 27 this year, the MHA under the chairmanship of additional secretary (UT) convened a meeting with the officials of the J&K government and CBI to discuss the CBI’s proposal for grant of sanction for prosecution against the IAS officers allegedly involved in the scam.The MHA had further conveyed that after receiving the comments of CBI, the proposal shall be examined and appropriate decision will be taken.
A huge arms licence scam allegedly involving district magistrates was unearthed by ATS Rajasthan in 2017. It was being probed by the J&K police before the CBI was handed over the case by the then governor NN Vohra.The CBI had revealed that during the period between 2012 to 2016, approximately 1.53 lakh arms licences were issued in 10 districts of Jammu division and approximately 1.21 lakh in 12 districts of the then Kashmir division, allegedly for monetary gains by the then district magistrates on forged documents.
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