Case against BJP minister
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Division Bench (DB) of J&K State High Court on Friday asked State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) to take a stand on the reply filed by Deputy Commissioner, Jammu with regard to charges leveled against a BJP minister.
After hearing the respondents including Advocates representing Abdul Ghani Kohli, the DB directed SVO to take a stand on the reply filed by DC, Jammu.
The direction was passed by the Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Tashi Rabstan while hearing a case filed by Advocate Ankur Sharma, seeking registration of FIR against Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Abdul Ghani Kohli.
The Bench sought SVO’s response in the form of a status report on the charges levelled by Deputy Commissioner, Jammu against DFO, Jammu and other officers for failing to conduct a joint demarcation report.
The SVO, in its status report dated 29th July, 2016, had accused Deputy Commissioner, Jammu for preparing an unauthentic and misleading report through Tehsildar, Bahu creating confusion in the entire probe.
While arguing the matter, Advocate Ankur Sharma sought attention of the Court to the reply filed by DC, Jammu on 13th December, 2016 wherein DC, Jammu accused DFO of non-action, saying that despite the constitution of a multi-member committee vide DC Jammu’s order No. 154-DCJ of 2015 dated 26th December, 2015, the DFO led committee was not able to conclude the demarcation for almost six months.
The DC, Jammu submitted in his reply that since DFO and the aforesaid team had failed in their job and owing to the urgency of the matter involved, he directed Tehsildar Bahu to conduct the aforesaid demarcation following which Tehsildar Bahu submitted a report dated 30th May, 2016.
It is at this point Advocate Ankur Sharma referred to the status report filed by SVO, which disapproved the status report prepared by Tehsildar, Bahu on the directions of DC, Jammu.
The Court was informed that the status report filed by SVO observes that the scrutiny of the report dated 30th May, 2016 furnished by DC, Jammu reveals that the report has not been submitted by the team constituted by DC, Jammu vide order No 154 of 26th December, 2015 headed by DFO Jammu as Convenor. The SVO alleged that the report submitted by DC, Jammu is unauthenticated and conflicting which was brought on record deliberately to create confusion.
On STATE TIMES’ exclusive report, a PIL filed by social activist-cum-lawyer Ankur Sharma alleged that the minister illegally grabbed 10 kanals of Forest Land at Sunjwan area. The BJP minister and members of his family had raised a BEd college, an ETT College, a higher secondary school, a paramedic training college, a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch and an ATM on the land. While presenting his case, Advocate Ankur Sharma referred to the conclusions drawn by SVO where it observes that the inquiries conducted so far have established that the institutions are owned and managed by the family members of Abdul Ghani Kohli and the building complex has been raised on Khasra No. 356 of village Nowabad, Sunjwan. As per the records submitted by the owners to the various authorities and also as per the report of Forest Department, Khasra No. 356 is Forest Land, thereby, substantiating the basic allegations, he added. The Advocate then referred to the report submitted by DC, Jammu which categorically states that the land in question is recorded as a State Land in Revenue records. Later, Advocate Ankur Sharma stressed on registration of FIR against the suspects but owing to the take of SVO that they will come up with a detailed reply to DC Jammu’s report, the matter was posted for 29th December, 2016.
