Backdoor appointments in KVIB
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 10: In the much publicised case of backdoor appointments in the Khadi Village Industries Board during the PDP-BJP Coalition Government, High Court has declined interim relief to the petitioners and issued notice to the State Government and others.
The petitioners Shubam Thappa and others had filed a writ petition in the High Court through Advocate Abhinav Sharma seeking interim relief as their appointments have been cancelled by the Government.
The State Government was represented by Aseem Sawhney, Additional Advocate General and Advocate Bhanu Jasrotia, who submitted that the Government had ordered an inquiry and name of Aroot Madni, a close relative of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, has also surfaced.
The AAG also read the report of DG CID which exposed the complete nexus and submitted that Aroot Madni, son of Sartaj Madni (relative of ex CM Mehbooba Mufti) was appointed in total disregard of laws. “As per the report an amount of Rs 5 lakh was taken by the then PRO of DyCM for such appointments”, he added.
He further submitted that pursuant to the cancellation of appointments Secretary/CEO of J&K Khadi and Village Industries Board issued different show cause notices to the selected candidates asking them to explain their position within fifteen days as to why their services be not terminated as the selection process was found to be suffering from various deficiencies/flaws.
After hearing both the sides, Justice Tashi Rabstan observed, “a perusal of the report of Additional DG CID reveals that entire conduct of examinations appears to have been handled callously. The issuance of notification, engaging a Private Company, appointment of Law Secretary as Controller, ensuring minimal publicity of Exam procedures, declaring the results in a hurry and tailoring the exam scheme as per the needs, all point towards malafide intentions of the Board to propagate nepotism”.
“Keeping in view the serious allegations borne out from the summary report of CID, I am of the view that the petitioners have not succeeded in making out a case for grant of interim relief. Otherwise too, all the selections made in the KVIB pursuant to Advertisement Notice No.KVIB/01 of 2016 dated 08.10.2016 came to be cancelled vide order dated 28.06.2019 and the petitioners have approached this Court on 03.10.2019, i.e., 96 days after the issuance of impugned order dated 28.06.2019”, Justice Rabstan observed.
Accordingly, High Court declined to grant interim relief at this stage and issued notice to the respondents in the writ petition as well as in CM for filing objections within a period of four weeks from today.
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