Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 31: The State Government is showing cold shoulder for the appointment of the first Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) of the State after controversy over the recommendation of the Director General of Police (DGP), Kuldeep Khoda, who retired from his services today.
Commissioner Secretary General Administration (GAD) Department, Sheikh Mushtaq, told Excelsior that they have not sent any recommendation for the CVC and Vigilance Commissioners to Governor N N Vohra for his assent. “We are working on it and the process is on but we have not send it for the Governor’s assent so far”, he said.
The Government on Monday recommended former DGP, Kuldeep Khoda, as CVC and former Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, Mohammad Sayeed Khan and former Financial Commissioner Revenue, R K Jerath for the posts of Vigilance Commissioners (VCs).
Leader of the opposition and president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti had however, walked out of the meeting after what she said Government’s insistence on the name of Khoda as the CVC of the State. She alleged that it seemed to be a reward for “his cover up of the JKCA scam, human rights violations of 2008 and 2010 and the triple murder case of 1998.”
While opposing Khoda’s recommendation, Mehbooba told the meeting that Khoda was allegedly involved in triple murder of three persons from Bhaderwah district of Jammu province and it was established by the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir police.
The meeting that was held on Monday evening was chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand and Law, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ali Mohammad Sagar and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti.
Mehbooba later wrote a dissenting note on the file for the recommendation of Khoda saying: “Being of the view that appointment of Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) is extremely crucial in the fight against corruption, the exercise has, therefore, should be more than mere filling up of vacancies as post retirement rehabilitation.”
In her dissenting note, Mehbooba raised the issues of Khoda’s alleged involvement in triple murder, cover up of National Conference leader Syed Yusuf’s death in alleged police custody and Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association scam and killing of 200 youth between 2008 to 2010 during his tenure as DGP. Her dissenting note said that Khoda’s appointment as CVC will send wrong signal to bureaucracy that they can get away with their wrong doings and get rewarded for that.
Another hitch that has resulted in the delay in sending the recommendations to Mr Vohra is the timing the dismissal of a petition against Khoda for his alleged involvement in triple murder case in Bharwah when he was DIG of Doda-Bhaderwah range.
State High Court dismissed the petition seeking Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for Khoda’s alleged role in a triple murder case in Bhaderwah a day after his name was recommended by the Government for first CVC of the State.
But the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), who are fighting the case for the victims families said that they will move to Supreme Court against Khoda for seeking justice from the apex court of the country. They are demanding CBI inquiry into triple murder.
Sources said the Government is adopting wait and watch policy over Khoda’s recommendation that has become controversial now.
It may be mentioned here that four civilians, Fazal Hussain, his son Fareed Hussain, Muhammad Hussain Lone and Talib Hussain, were allegedly kidnapped from their homes in Bhaderwah by one Mohammad Ashraf, who was working with police as an SPO in 1996.
While three persons were killed allegedly by Ashraf and his gunmen, Talib Hussain had managed to escape from their clutches and reported the matter to police.
A case was filed with the police after investigations directed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court, Bhaderwah. The victims’ families, however, not satisfied with the investigation approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). It directed the police’s Crime Branch to investigate the case.
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