An Indian Administrative Service officer was briefly arrested for his involvement in a graft case involving illegal transfer of State land at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir.
Baseer Ahmad Khan presently posted as Deputy Commissioner of riot-hit Kishtwar district in Jammu was arrested after charge sheet was produced against him by the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) in the court of Special Judge anti-corruption.He was later bailed out and asked to resume his duties.
Khan and five other officials, including the then Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Mehboob Iqbal, who is now retired and a member of opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), face charges of misusing official positions for illegal transfer of Government land in Gulmarg worth crores of rupees.
The scam involves illegal transfer of prime land in favour of influential persons in complete violation of guidelines governing the preservation and development of tourist resort of Gulmarg. Khan was removed as Deputy Commissioner of capital district Srinagar in March 2013 on the directions of Jammu & Kashmir High Court, which observed that in capital cities, at least, the Government should appoint those District Magistrates and other officers who possess clean reputation and image. The SVO has registered a case against Khan and other officials in 2009.