Minister, IG may be sacrificed over Syed Yousuf

Guards deployed at truncated NC leader’s house in Ganderbal

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, Oct 2: Even as the ruling National Conference (NC) has put up a brave face and images of a smiling Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State for Home, Nasir Aslam Wani, were played up on television, Government is understood to be considering some action to blunt PDP’s campaign of seeking resignation of CM, MoS Home and union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah.

Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to Early Times late tonight that the NC top brass was seriously weighing the suggestion of “voluntary resignation” of MoS Home, Nasir Aslam Wani. According to these sources, transfer and attachment of some senior officials in Crime Branch, between SP and IG, “pending inquiry into Syed Yousuf’s death in mysterious circumstances” was also in consideration as a damage control exercise.

Sources revealed that NC’s District Secretary in Ganderbal, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, who is now known to have collected and handed over to late Syed Mohammad Yousuf huge amount of Rs 84 Lakh, could be dismissed and terminated permanently from primary membership of the party. After a communication from Chief Minister’s Secretariat, DC Ganderbal Showkat Ahmad Mir has directed all line officers not to entertain any of Bhat’s recommendations and references, written or verbal, from yesterday. It has been notified to all concerned that Bhat was no more representative of MLA Ganderbal (Chief Minister) in the constituency.

Fearing mischief by trouble-makers, Government has, however, deployed four Police guards at Bhat’s residence in Repora village of Ganderbal. Besides, none of his six security guards has been withdrawn. Bhat has shifted back to his house after staying at his officially allotted flat in Tulsi Bagh in the capital city for over two years.

It has now become clear that he had collected sum of Rs 5 Lakh from one of his PSOs and the major part of Rs 50 Lakh from one Manzoor Ahmad Mir of Beehama, Ganderbal. With Bhat’s intervention, Manzoor had succeeded in getting the allotment of three major toll posts at Ganderbal and Sonmarg in 2010 and Tangmarg-Gulmarg in 2011. Known for overcharging from hundreds of tourist buses from different Indian states, Bhat is estimated to have earned profit of more than Rs 2 Crore in the last two years.

A junior Minister, who is known for his intimate relationship with Chief Minister, is known to have helped Manzoor Mir, on Bhat’s persuasion, in getting the toll post annual contract for very low rates at the three major tourist passages. Two Deputy Commissioners of Ganderbal, one SP and two Directors of Local Bodies, Kashmir, are known to have collected Rs 10 Lakh each as their “share” from Manzoor Mir through Bhat. However, incumbent DC, Showkat Mir, and a former SP, Imtiyaz Mir, threatened the contractor to arrest him when he went to them with an amount “fixed for DC and SP”. They also played a key role in getting two of his allotments---Ganderbal and Sonmarg---terminated from April this year. However, his contract in Tangmarg and Gulmarg is still continuing.

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