Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 20: State High Court today directed the Government to frame some standard criteria for engagement of PROs by the Ministers and other higher-ups and the exercise in this regard shall be completed within a period of three months.
The direction was issued by Justice Tashi Rabstan in a petition titled Prof S K Bhalla Versus State and Others relating to undue security cover to Kewal Sharma (forest guard), the then Deputy PRO to the then Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand.
“It is very strange that Ministers take any person, generally their relations without adhering to any criteria as their PROs. Otherwise how could a Forest Guard (Kewal Sharma) officially distribute cheques of Rs 20 lakh in presence of SDM Khour amongst the flood affected people of Palatan and Chahani Divanoo, Khour”, Justice Rabstan said.
While parting with the judgment, Justice Rabstan passed severe strictures against the then SSP Jammu Atul Goel (IPS) for providing undue security to Kewal Sharma and observed, “it needs to bring on record that it is very strange that merely on the verbal request of the wife of Forest Guard Kewal Sharma, the then Senior Superintendent of Police Jammu deployed four PSOs with Kewal Sharma and also deputed four security guards at his residence without even bothering to ascertain the allegations or investigating the matter in its right perspective”.
“How could a Police Officer of the rank of SSP provide such a huge security to a mere Forest Guard that too only on the verbal request of his wife, when, besides other allegations, serious charges of corruption etc have been leveled against Kewal Sharma of amassing huge wealth and properties allegedly by indulging in unlawful means and immoral activities while acting as a PRO to then Deputy Chief Minister”, the High Court said.
Justice Tashi Rabstan while expressing his displeasure over undue security cover provided to Kewal Sharma further observed, “the said security cover cannot be done without the knowledge of higher-ups. Although the security provided to Kewal Sharma has been withdrawn, but the higher police authorities too seem to be under some sort of pressure or were part of the entire episode”.
After hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocate Rahul Raina appearing for the petitioner-Prof. S.K. Bhalla and AAG Vishal Sharma for State, Advocate Ahtsham Bhat for GAD, Senior Advocate K S Johal with Advocate Asharya Choudhary for Kewal Sharma and Senior Advocate U K Jalali with Advocate Priyanshu Sharma for former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand (Intervener), Justice Tashi Rabstan after looking into the prayer of the petitioner for initiation of disciplinary action against Kewal Sharma under J&K CCA Rules, 1956 observed, “the matter is stated to have been referred by the GAD to the SVO for investigation as regards amassing huge wealth/ properties by Kewal Sharma by unlawful and corrupt means while acting as a PRO to the then Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand”.
Looking into the gravity of allegations, Justice Tashi Rabstan directed SVO to investigate the matter and take the investigation to its logical end.
With regard to the allegations leveled by Kewal Sharma against the former Deputy Chief Minister, Justice Tashi Rabstan observed, “this aspect of the matter too cannot be gone into. It is for the Government to look into the matter, who otherwise is stated to be already seized of the matter”.
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