New Delhi/Srinagar, Oct 12 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out raids at around 41 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in a case related to an arms licence racket.

The raids were carried out at the official and residential premises of around 14 then public servants, including then IAS, J&K Administrative Service, and lower rank government officials, around five private persons (middlemen/agents) and 10 gun houses and dealers in the case related to the arms licence racket.

The agency raided the premises of four IAS officers -- Sajjad Ahmad Khan (retired), Baseer Ahmad Khan, M. Raju and Prasanna Ramaswany G.

The CBI also raised the premises of J&K Administrative Service officers Nisar Ahmad Wani, M.S. Mallik, Farooq Ahmad Khan and Bashir Ahamad Khan.

The agency carried out raids at the premises of then District Information Officer, Sanjay Puri.

The raids were carried out in Srinagar, Anantnag, Banihal, Baramulla, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Kishtwar (Jammu and Kashmir), Leh, Delhi and Bhind in Madhya Pradesh.

During the searches, incriminating documents including issuance of arms licence, list of beneficiaries, documents related to investment in FDRs and other sale proceeds, property documents, bank account details, locker keys, diary comprising incriminating details, arms licence registers, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and some cash, including old currency, were recovered.

The agency had registered two cases on the request of then Jammu and Kashmir government and following further notification from the government of India.

The agency took over over the investigation of two FIRs, registered on May 17, 2018 in J&K on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licences in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during the period 2012 to 2016.

It was alleged that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to the non-entitled persons. The CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of the said armed licences, allegedly spread over 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

During investigation and scrutiny of documents, the role of certain gun dealers came to light, who in connivance with the public servants, i.e., the then District Magistrate and Additional District Magistrate of the concerned districts, had allegedly issued such illegal arms licences to ineligible persons.

"It was also alleged that the persons who got these licences were not residents of the places from where the said arms licences were issued," the CBI said in a statement.