Srinagar, Feb 9: The Government on Thursday terminated from services an assistant Public Prosecutor from whose possession the police had recovered 8 gms of contraband substance by a police party of Rajouri police in 2020.
“Waseem Ahmed Qureshi, Prosecuting Officer is dismissed from service, with immediate effect, which will also disqualify him from future employment,” reads a government order.
Qureshi, the then Assistant Public Prosecutor in the Court of Judicial Magistrate Ukhral, while on his way to Rajouri on 4 May 2020, was found to be in possession of the contraband, according to termination order issued by the Government’s Home Department. Subsequently, it said, Qureshi was arrested on February 10 in connection with the FIR (No. 18/2022) under section 8/12/22/25/29 of NDPS Act’ registered in Police Station, Nowaba registered by the police station.
It said on 8 July last year, Qureshi was served with charge-sheet for furnishing his response within 21 days.
Later, Qureshi submitted response and upon examination the same was found unsatisfactory, the order said.
Accordingly, in terms of Rule 33 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, the government ordered an inquiry.
“The Competent Authority, approved the report submitted by the Inquiry Officer and directed imposition of a penalty, provided in Rule 30(viii) of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, upon the delinquent officer.”
Pursuant to the decision of the Competent Authority and before imposing the penalty on Qureshi, the order said, a show cause notice dated 23 December 2022 alongwith the summary of the proceedings of the Inquiry was served upon Qureshi, giving him an opportunity to show cause, within a period of 15 days, as to why the penalty be not imposed on him. “Instead of responding to the show cause notice, the delinquent officer vide his reply dated 10.01.2023, inter-alia, stated that he should be given more time to respond to the show cause notice,” he said.
“The reply submitted by the delinquent officer was examined in consultation with the DG, Prisons, J&K and it was observed that the delinquent officer was attempting to evade the penalty by narrating misleading facts,” the order said, adding, “It was further observed that the facts narrated in the reply had already been considered by the Inquiry Officer and the delinquent officer had failed to give any cogent reason, warranting consideration for imposing a lesser penalty.”
Later, it said, the Competent Authority chose not to change the decision of imposing the penalty of ‘dismissal from service of the State which ordinarily disqualifies from future employment’ upon the delinquent officer. (GNS)
