SVO failure leads to acquittals after 18 years long trial

By
Daily Excelsior
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Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 23: Special Judge Anticorruption Jammu Sanjeev Gupta today decided two 18 years old cases and acquitted Inder Singh Wazir, the then Director, Indian Population Project, Vikram Dewan, the then Accounts Officer presently posted as Joint Director Funds, Harinder Mohan Singh, Proprietor M/s Unique Dimension New Delhi and Ghulam Mohd Bhat of Angu Interior Decorators of the charges of corruption as Vigilance Organization miserably failed to prove the cases.
According to the Vigilance case in case FIR No.79/1999 it was found that Director IPP in active connivance with other alleged accused purchased furniture at an exorbitant rate without following the codal formalities and without the approval of competent authority thus caused a wrongful gain on himself and the others accused and in turn caused a loss to the State exchequer to the tune of Rs 2,77,199 which included Rs.27,646 as Central Sales Tax (CST).
Similarly, in case FIR No.80/1999 it was found that then Director IPP in active connivance others, purchased furniture in breach of codal formalities and without the approval of competent authority at a high price. In this way they caused loss to State exchequer to the tune of Rs 5,08,890 and Rs 80,287/- as CST.
While deciding both the cases, Special Judge Anticorruption observed, “the prosecution cases suffer from so many serious infirmities and lacunae. The oral evidence is short of proving the guilt against the accused and the documentary evidence is either inadmissible or irrelevant”.
“Therefore, in the facts and circumstances of the cases it would not be safe to fasten criminal liability on the accused on the basis of such evidence meaning thereby that prosecution has miserably failed not only to prove its cases against the accused with regard to the offences under Prevention of Corruption Act but also other offences with which they have been charged beyond a reasonable doubt”, the court said.
Accordingly, prosecution cases were dismissed and accused acquitted.

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