Complaint for lodging FIR against Ex-Housing Minister, MD Housing in Rs 27.60 crore scam

By admin On Nov 25, 2016

DB drops contempt proceedings against IGP SVO, SSP VOJ

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: A Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Chief Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Tashi Rabstan on Thursday dropped contempt proceedings against Alok Puri Inspector General of Police, State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) and Dr. Koshal Kumar the then Senior Superintendent of Police Vigilance Organization Jammu (VOJ) and advised the counsel for the petitioner in the open court to work out remedy somewhere else or before the State Accountability Commission (SAC) constituted for dealing complaints of corruption against politicians.
After hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Irfaan Mohd Khan and Suraj Singh appearing for the petitioner, the Division Bench observed that since the State Vigilance Organization has filed the compliance/status report in terms of order dated September 21, 2016, as such, there is no willful disobedience of the directions passed by the Apex Court in the case of Lalita Kumari verses Government of UP wherein the Apex Court held that a preliminary enquiry in a corruption case should not exceed 15 days.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed vociferously argued that based upon RTI disclosure the petitioner on 8th March 2016 had lodged a complaint with the IGP SVO and SSP VOJ seeking registration of FIR under section 5(2) Prevention of Corruption Act against Raman Bhalla, former Minister for Housing, Horticulture, Culture and Youth Services and Sports and Ram Paul Sharma former Incharge Managing Director J&K Housing Board and presently Secretary of the Board.
It was submitted that the former Minister by abusing his official position got several works executed both in Jammu and Srinagar purely on extraneous considerations actuated with malafide exercise of power and the then Incharge MD Housing Board Ram Paul Sharma carried out all the illegal orders /directions of the then Minister which resulted in creation of liabilities worth Rs. 27.60 crore.
Advocate S.S. Ahmed read out the latest compliance/status report filed by Inspector General of Police State Vigilance Organization wherein it was submitted that during verification nothing hinted at the disclosure of any offence of favouritism or conferring of undue benefits and in absence of an offence no FIR could have been registered.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed while launching a scathing attack on the status report of the Vigilance Organization submitted that the Vigilance has been unfair while conducting the verification as the allegations were directed against the former Minister who enjoys clout in the corridors of power and the SVO danced to the tunes of the powers that be to ensure safe passage to the former Minister and his coterie including then Managing Director Ram Paul Sharma.