Jammu, Nov 27: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has barred LMES IT LLP and its major stakeholder Maharaj Krishan Wali from taking part in any future recruitment-related tender across the Union Territory after investigations revealed irregularities in the contentious 2020 Fire & Emergency Services hiring process.
The order follows a multilayer inquiry spanning nearly three years, starting with a probe panel formed in December 2022 and culminating in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case that established violations in tendering and selection procedures.
Officials said the committee submitted its findings on February 10 this year, prompting the Home Department to forward the case for detailed scrutiny by the ACB. The Bureau later registered an FIR (No. 01/2025) at its Central Jammu Police Station, naming the firm and examining Wali’s role in the process.
According to investigators, LMES IT LLP—despite being the L-2 bidder with a quote of ₹179 per candidate—managed to secure the contract while the lowest bidder, M/s UMC Technology Pvt. Ltd., quoting ₹107.50, was neither called for negotiations nor formally considered. The agency also failed to fulfil several mandatory eligibility conditions listed in the e-NIT.
The probe further found that LMES lacked requisite experience in recruitment for police or paramilitary organisations and did not meet the financial credibility criteria. Instead of furnishing three years of its own balance sheets and income-tax returns, the company allegedly relied on documents of another firm.
A conflict of interest angle surfaced as well: Wali, who holds a 99% stake in LMES, previously worked with Timing Technologies Pvt. Ltd., whose 2018 Fire Services recruitment contract had been scrapped with official directions not to engage the same testing agency again. Despite this, a company owned by the same individual was awarded the contract, which ACB reports said provided him “undue leverage”.
After reviewing the ACB report and recommendations submitted by a reconstituted committee, the Home Department proposed action under Rule 151 of the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017. Communications on June 27 and September 16 this year reaffirmed the move.
The competent authority has now enforced the blacklist order, preventing LMES IT LLP — operating from Jammu and Gurgaon — and Wali from participating in any recruitment-related bidding processes of the J&K Government.
Further action in the ongoing investigation is awaited, officials added.
