CBK chargesheets former SKIMS Professor

Srinagar, Feb 5: The Economic Offences Wing Kashmir of the Crime Branch has produced a chargesheet before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Srinagar in a case involving alleged concealment of foreign citizenship to obtain a government job at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura.

The chargesheet in FIR No. 76/2022 has been filed under Sections 199 and 420 of the RPC against Afshan Shabir, wife of Syed Akeel Ahmad, a resident of Shibath Zadibal, who was appointed as an Assistant Professor at SKIMS in 2019.

According to the investigation, the accused is a United Kingdom national and an Overseas Citizen of India card holder, making her ineligible for appointment to a government post. Despite this, she allegedly applied for the position as an in-service candidate under Advertisement Notice No. 04 of 2015 and declared herself an Indian citizen and permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir.

Investigators said the accused submitted documents, including a State Subject Certificate, to support her claim of eligibility. Based on these declarations, she was selected and appointed to the post.

During the probe, the Crime Branch seized and examined official records, including her service book, personal file, application form and minutes of the selection committee. The investigation revealed that the accused had acquired British citizenship prior to entering government service and had allegedly concealed this fact while applying for the post and during her tenure.

Officials said the accused admitted to holding a British passport and an OCI card. The investigation concluded that the alleged misrepresentation enabled her to fraudulently secure a public post, resulting in wrongful gain to herself and corresponding loss to the government.

Her services were terminated in August 2022 through a government order issued by SKIMS. Following completion of the investigation, the Crime Branch produced the chargesheet before the competent court for judicial determination.