At a time when accountability in public administration is under intense national scrutiny, the alleged multi-crore arms licence scam in Jammu & Kashmir has reached a crucial stage. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh that the decision on granting prosecution sanction against eight IAS officers named in the case is currently “under active consideration” and is expected soon.
The development emerged during the latest hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) titled Sheikh Mohammad Shafi vs Union of India and Others, which is being adjudicated by the division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal. Appearing for the MHA, Deputy Solicitor General of India (DSGI) Vishal Sharma, accompanied by Central Government Standing Counsel A.C. Koul, submitted that a necessary affidavit in compliance with the court’s earlier order dated October 9 had been filed.
Sharma further informed the court that both the J&K government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had furnished their replies to the clarifications sought by the MHA through communications dated September 26 and October 14. He stated that the matter is now in the final stages of deliberation and “a formal decision in this regard is likely to be reached in the immediate future.” The DSGI also sought short accommodation on behalf of the MHA to enable the ministry to conclude its decision, a request that the division bench accepted.
The MHA’s status report dated August 6 had previously revealed that it received proposals from the J&K government for granting prosecution sanction against the accused IAS officers through letters dated May 27, 2025; July 4, 2025; and July 25, 2025. The officers under scrutiny are:
• P.K. Pole (AGMUT: 2004), then DM Udhampur
• M. Raju (AGMUT: 2005), then DM Kargil
• Yasha Mudgal (AGMUT: 2007), then DM Udhampur and later DM Baramulla
• Jitendra Kumar Singh (JH: 2008), then DM Kathua and later DM Rajouri
• Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary (AGMUT: 2009), then DM Udhampur
• Niraj Kumar (AGMUT: 2010), then DM Udhampur and later DM Pulwama
• Prasanna Ramaswamy G (AGMUT: 2010), then ADM Kathua and later DM Leh
• Ramesh Kumar (AGMUT: 2011), then DM Kathua
The report further disclosed that on August 27 this year, a meeting chaired by the additional secretary (UT), MHA, was held with officials from the J&K government and the CBI to review the investigative proposal submitted by the CBI recommending prosecution sanction against these officers. The ministry noted that after receiving the CBI’s comments and responses, the entire proposal would undergo examination before taking a final decision.
During the hearing, senior additional advocate general Mohsin Qadri, representing the J&K government, submitted that the administration had completed its responsibility by forwarding the proposals to the MHA. He urged the court to close the PIL, arguing that prolonging it would serve no further purpose, as the competent authority must now decide the matter independently.
After detailed consideration, the division bench accepted the DSGI’s plea for short accommodation and scheduled the next hearing for December 30, by when the MHA is expected to convey its formal decision.
The case traces its origin to 2017, when the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Rajasthan uncovered a massive arms licence racket allegedly involving several district magistrates. Initially probed by the J&K Police, the case was later transferred to the CBI on the directions of then Governor N.N. Vohra. Investigations revealed that between 2012 and 2016, approximately 1.53 lakh arms licences were issued in 10 districts of the Jammu division and around 1.21 lakh licences in 12 districts of the Kashmir division, purportedly on forged documents and in exchange for monetary benefits.
