Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 21: Division Bench of the State High Court comprising First Puisne Judge Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice B S Walia today directed the Inspector General of Police, State Vigilance Organization to file the latest status of the complaint highlighting Rs 27 crore liability in J&K Housing Board during the tenure of the then Housing Minister Raman Bhalla and then Incharge Managing Director Ram Pal Sharma. The Division Bench further directed the Registry to list this matter in the week commencing October 17.
When the matter came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed appearing for the petitioner submitted that this matter was listed before the Single Judge on September 17, 2016 and was directed to be placed before the Chief Justice for listing the same before the Division Bench looking into the public interest involved in it.
Advocate Ahmed further submitted that the Chief Justice has passed the appropriate orders in this regard and further directions are warranted for speeding up the probe into the siphoning of the public funds to the tune of Rs 27 crore. He said that petitioner was seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Alok Puri, IGP State Vigilance Organization and Dr Koushal Kumar, the then SSP, VOJ for not finalizing the preliminary inquiry within 15 days in the light of Apex Court directions in a case titled Lalita Kumari V/s State of UP & Ors wherein it has been ruled that a preliminary inquiry in a corruption case should not exceed 15 days.
“Enquiry by a three-member committee has established a big scandal in J&K Housing Board where on the directions of then Minister for Housing, the then Managing Director executed works beyond the jurisdiction of J&K Housing Board to the tune of Rs 27 crore and all these works were executed by distributing the works to the blue-eyed contractors of the then Minister”, Advocate Ahmad said.
After considering the submissions of Advocate Ahmed appearing for the petitioner and Deputy Advocate General Sheikh Faraz Iqbal appearing for SVO, the Division Bench directed the Inspector General of Police, State Vigilance Organization to file the latest status of the petitioner’s complaint highlighting Rs 27 liability in J&K Housing Board.
Follow our WhatsApp channel