Complainant VC himself conferred several undue benefits
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 24: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has produced charge-sheet against two former Vice-Chancellors, Comptroller, Registrar and Deputy Registrars of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Jammu for facilitating promotion of an illegal appointee from Computer Programmer to the post of Deputy Registrar in the varsity.
The most shocking aspect is that one of the accused Vice-Chancellors, who had lodged complaint against the beneficiary in the court, himself accorded approval for placing accused beneficiary in the Senior Scale despite having the knowledge of illegal appointment.
The charge-sheet, which has been filed after fresh investigation on the directions of the court, has clearly established that earlier the probe was conducted by some officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in most unprofessional manner.
Those who have been charge-sheeted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau under Prevention of Corruption Act and different provisions of RPC are Sanjay Sharma, Deputy Registrar, Hashmatullah Khan, former Vice-Chancellor of SKUAST-Jammu, Nagander Sharma, former Vice-Chancellor, Ramesh Kumar Sharma, the then Registrar, Rakesh Mohan Bhagat, the then Director Resident Instructions, Vijay Kumar Soi, the then Comptroller and Ashok Kumar Koul, the then Deputy Registrar SKUAST Jammu.
The FIR No.2/2016 was registered on the outcome of a verification conducted into the allegations contained in the complaint lodged by Nagender Sharma, the then Vice-Chancellor SKUAST-Jammu and forwarded by Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu mentioning that undue benefit was conferred upon Sanjay Sharma in his appointment at SKUAST-Jammu.
Around two years back, the then Vigilance Organization (presently Anti-Corruption Bureau) filed closure report in the court on the ground that investigation has established that beneficiary has destroyed all the records, including his personal file the recovery of which could have led to the seizure of experience certificate repeatedly produced by the beneficiary for seeking the illegal benefits.
“The investigation of the case was concluded and submitted to Central Office Vigilance Organization, which has observed that the allegations leveled have not been substantiated within the purview of Prevention of Corruption Act as such the investigation of the instant case is closed as Not Proved”, the Vigilance Organization had mentioned in the closure report.
However, the then Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu Y P Bourney refused to accept the closure report and directed for fresh investigation into the matter. ” Such an opinion completely dehors the overwhelming record which clearly showed the accused persons have abused their official position repeatedly and favored the accused beneficiary time and again”, the Anti-Corruption Court had mentioned in the order.
In the latest charge-sheet, it has been mentioned that one Sanjay Sharma, son of N K Sharma of 53/6 Trikuta Nagar was initially engaged as Computer Programmer (Hardware) in SKUAST-Jammu on adhoc basis in the year 2000 and thereafter in the year 2001 he was placed as PRO to Vice-Chancellor on probation basis. In the year 2003, he was confirmed and placed in the Senior Scale with effect from May 1, 2005.
While processing the case of Sanjay Sharma for placing him in the Senior Scale, the experience certificate produced by Sanjay Sharma was arbitrarily considered as his active service. “The officers of SKUAST-J by abuse of their official position and in active connivance with each other in order to confer undue benefits upon the beneficiary knowingly and dishonestly forged the record thereby conferring undue pecuniary advantage upon the beneficiary”, the ACB has mentioned in the charge-sheet.
The investigation has revealed that former Vice-Chancellor was fully aware of the fact that accused beneficiary Sanjay Sharma was illegally appointed as PRO and this fact was repeatedly mentioned by him in the complaint which he had lodged before the court. However, despite having the knowledge of illegal appointment of accused Sanjay Sharma, approval for placing him in Senior Scale was accorded, the ACB said, adding the order where under Senior Scale was accorded was illegal.
The offences under Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act and different provisions of RPC have been established against all these accused persons and charge-sheet has been produced before the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu for judicial determination after obtaining prosecution sanction against accused Sanjay Sharma.
The charge-sheet was filed by Investigating Officer Inspector Sadiq Jatt.
The fresh charge-sheet has clearly established that earlier investigation was conducted in the most unprofessional manner otherwise there was no point in submitting the closure report.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
