New Delhi: Two months after granting permission to prosecute Jammu and Kashmir Revenue Secretary Kumar Rajeev Ranjan for alleged irregularities in arms licences, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the Union Territory administration to submit comprehensive proposals for similar action against three other officers—Yasha Mudgal, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, and Neeraj Kumar.
In a letter dated February 21, 2025, C P Vinod Kumar, Undersecretary in the MHA, informed the JK Chief Secretary that the UT’s earlier recommendations lacked key enclosures, including letters from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), DVDs, and a legal opinion from the JK Law Department. These three officers are among 16 former District Magistrates (13 IAS and three KAS officers) accused of issuing lakhs of allegedly illegal gun licences across India while serving in various districts of the erstwhile JK state.
Notably, prosecution sanction is mandatory under the Prevention of Corruption Act for proceeding against public servants like IAS officers.
The MHA has asked the J&K administration to furnish the proposals within a week, ensuring they include all necessary documents such as authenticated copies of FIRs, witness statements, investigation reports, recovery memos, disclosure statements, draft sanction orders, and written statements of defence from the accused officers, along with remarks from the investigating officer.
Yasha Mudgal currently serves as Commissioner-Secretary of Tourism, while Shahid Iqbal Choudhary is on leave, and Neeraj Kumar is Administrative Secretary of the Transport Department.
The CBI is investigating alleged irregularities in the issuance of over 2.74 lakh gun licences between 2012 and 2016, when JK was still a state. The scam, estimated to exceed Rs 100 crore, involves allegations that district magistrates, deputy commissioners, and licencing authorities issued gun permits to ineligible individuals in exchange for monetary benefits.
In October, the CBI informed the court that it was still awaiting prosecution sanction against all 16 former district magistrates involved in the case. On November 25, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice MA Chowdhary, expressed dissatisfaction over what it termed as “selective prosecution,” pointing out that while the CBI had completed its investigation, the MHA had yet to approve prosecution for several officers.
During a hearing on December 27, the J&K General Administration Department informed the Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh High Court that it had forwarded its views regarding the three officers to the MHA and was awaiting a final decision.
Last year, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan became the first IAS officer to face prosecution in the case after the central government granted the CBI permission to proceed against him. Ranjan also holds additional charges of Revenue and Skill Development departments.
