EOW files chargesheet against assistant professor for hiding UK nationality in job application

Srinagar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of crime branch Jammu and Kashmir has filed a chargesheet against a former assistant professor for hiding her foreign nationality in her application for the post in a medical college.

The chargesheet against Afshan Shabir was produced before the chief judicial magistrate Srinagar, a spokesman of the EOW said.

Giving details, the spokesman said Shabir was appointed as assistant professor at SKIMS Soura in 2019 although she ineligible for the government post as she is a UK national and an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder.

"Investigation revealed that the accused applied for the post pursuant to advertisement notice No. 04 of 2015 as an in-service candidate and submitted documents, including a state subject certificate, declaring herself to be an Indian citizen and a permanent resident of J-K. On the basis of these declarations, she was selected and appointed," he said.

The spokesman said during the course of investigation, official records including her service book, personal file, application form, and selection committee minutes were seized and examined.

"It surfaced that the accused had acquired British citizenship prior to her government service and allegedly concealed this fact while applying for and continuing in government service. The accused admitted to holding a British passport and an OCI card," he said.

The spokesman said the investigation established that by misrepresenting her citizenship status, the accused fraudulently secured a public post, causing wrongful gain to herself and corresponding loss to the government. Shabir's services were terminated in August 2022.