Jammu, Feb 26 (Daily Excelsior):
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has booked JKP Inspector Vijay Singh Choudhary, brother of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, in a Disproportionate Assets (DA) case after verification revealed that the officer allegedly amassed wealth running into several crores of rupees, grossly disproportionate to his known and lawful sources of income.
According to the ACB, a discreet verification conducted on specific inputs established that during his postings at different locations, the Inspector accumulated assets valued in crores, including more than 10 immovable properties in the form of residential houses, shops and large parcels of land. Investigators estimate that the land alone measures around 100 kanals, with the overall market value pegged at multiple crores of rupees.
The Bureau said a substantial portion of these assets was allegedly raised in the names of family members, relatives and close associates, indicating possible attempts to conceal ownership and project the wealth as benami holdings. In addition to residential properties, the accused is alleged to have invested heavily in commercial ventures, including stone crushers and tile factories, significantly adding to his asset base.
On the basis of the verification, the ACB registered FIR No. 02/2026 at Police Station ACB Central under Sections 13(1)(b) read with 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for criminal misconduct by a public servant.
Following warrants obtained from the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu, ACB teams carried out searches at multiple locations, including residential houses at Santokh Vihar, Kaluchak (Jammu) and Nonial, Nowshera (Rajouri), a flat at Channi Rama, Jammu, a farmhouse at Marjali, Gharota, and business premises comprising stone crusher and tile factory units at Tutte di Khui, Bajalta. During the searches, incriminating documents, property records, financial papers and digital devices were seized, which are now under detailed scrutiny to accurately quantify the assets and trace funding sources.
The ACB stated that the ongoing investigation will focus on calculating the exact disproportion between income and assets, establishing the flow of funds used to acquire properties worth crores, and identifying any links with alleged illegal mining activities being probed simultaneously across the Jammu division.
Meanwhile, reacting to the action, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary described the proceedings as vindictive and said the matter would be contested legally, while maintaining that if any wrongdoing is proved, the law should take its course.
