State Vigilance on Monday arrested Kewal Sharma, former Public Relations Officer (PRO) of senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Tara Chand, for amassing wealth disproportionate to his known source of income.
Sharma was Chand's PRO when the latter was deputy chief minister in Omar Abdullah-led National Conference-Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir.
A vigilance spokesman said investigations revealed that Sharma owns several commercial and luxury vehicles and residential houses, within and outside the state worth crores of rupees.
“The accused has managed to open bank accounts on fake documents and deposited crores of rupees in these accounts,'' the spokesman said. ''The money has been used for purchasing several assets .”
Investigation has revealed the accused had even fabricated documents to get government employment.
"The documents regarding qualification on the basis which Kewal Sharma has been appointed have also been found to be fake," the spokesman said.
The spokesman said the accused is not divulging the facts about how he managed to open bank accounts on fake documents, what the source the documents were and the details of properties purchased outside the state.
"To clarify all these aspects of the case he has been taken into custody for questioning," the statement said. "The accused has been formally arrested and after medical examination lodged in police custody."
