Jammu, Feb 25: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday registered a disproportionate assets case against Vijay Singh Choudhary, a police inspector and brother of Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, and conducted searches at 10 locations across Jammu and Rajouri districts, officials said.
While posted at different places, the officer allegedly raised assets worth crores of rupees, including more than 10 properties — houses, shops and land parcels spread over about 100 kanals — mostly in the names of family members, relatives and others, an ACB spokesperson said.
Reacting to the action, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary strongly defended his brother, terming the raid a fallout of “inter-police rivalry” and asserting that nothing incriminating would be found.
The ACB spokesperson said that the case was registered following a verification into allegations that Vijay Singh Choudhary, currently posted in Ladakh, had amassed assets highly disproportionate to his known sources of income.
A prima facie case of criminal misconduct was found to be made out against the accused under relevant provisions relating to dishonest or fraudulent misappropriation by a public servant, he said.
Accordingly, a formal FIR was registered at Police Station ACB Central and an investigation was taken up, he said. During the course of the investigation, search warrants were obtained from the court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Jammu.
The ACB teams conducted searches at multiple locations, including residential houses at Santokh Vihar and Kaluchak in Jammu, a residential house at Nonial in Nowshera (Rajouri), and business premises, a stone crusher and a tile factory at Tutte di Khui, Bajalta in Jammu.
Based on information that emerged during the probe, some other locations in Jammu were also searched, the spokesperson added.
“Incriminating documents have been recovered and seized during the searches. Further investigation is underway,” the ACB said.
The deputy chief minister said his family will fight the case legally.
“This fight has begun, and we will fight it legally. We have faith in India’s judiciary and in many good officers in Jammu and Kashmir who will ensure justice.
“If Vijay Singh is wrong, he should be punished. But if he is right, he should have been awarded and promoted, not subjected to this drama two to two-and-a-half years before retirement just to stop his promotion,” he told reporters here.
Defending his brother’s service record, Choudhary said he had fought militancy across multiple challenging theatres in Jammu and Kashmir, including Gursai, Thanamandi, Doda and Supwal, and had built a reputation for taking on militants and criminals wherever he was posted.
“He is an officer whose entire career reflects a consistent fight against militancy and crime,” he said.
Terming the raid an attempt to “intimidate and malign”, the deputy chief minister said his family came from an Army background and had earned everything through hard work. “There is no hidden treasure in this house,” he added. (Agencies)
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