Court Upholds Earlier Ruling in Boundary Wall Construction Case at Central University of Kashmir
Srinagar, October 9: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has dismissed a petition filed by four serving and former Central Public Works Department (CPWD) engineers challenging the framing of charges against them in an alleged corruption case linked to the construction of a 9.1-kilometre boundary wall at the Central University of Kashmir in Ganderbal.
Justice Sanjay Parihar, in a judgment delivered on September 28, 2026, observed that the petitioners’ case was covered by an earlier ruling of a coordinate Bench concerning another accused in the same matter.
The petitioners had approached the High Court seeking to challenge the charges framed against them by the trial court, particularly those under Section 4-H of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, Samvat 2006.
According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the engineers allegedly conspired with contractor M/s Sheikh & Sons in connection with the boundary wall project, resulting in an alleged wrongful loss of approximately ₹3.4 crore to the public exchequer and a corresponding wrongful gain to the accused.
The project had been awarded at a cost of ₹9.38 crore.
The CBI filed its charge-sheet before the Court of the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption (CBI), Kashmir, on December 21, 2018, initiating further legal proceedings in the matter.
After examining the petition and the earlier judicial ruling applicable to the case, the High Court found no merit in the engineers’ challenge and dismissed their plea.
With the dismissal of the petition, the trial court is free to proceed with the case in accordance with the law.
The allegations against the accused remain subject to adjudication before the trial court, and the dismissal of the petition does not by itself establish their guilt.(KNC)
