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| Despite Omar's assurances last year, action still a distant dream | | Case against Suman Bhagat shelved since years | | Peerzada Ummer
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 16: State Accountability Commission (SAC) issued notice to Congress minister of PDP- Congress coalition, Suman Lata Bhagat in December 2012 for creating immovable property through a trust which was meant to serve the weaker sections of the society. Omar Abdullah on the floor of house in 2014 said the government is investigating the matter but the reality seems the contrary. No action has been taken till date.
The SAC comprising of Chairperson Justice (Retd) YP Nargotra and Member, Justice (Retd) Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain issued notice to Suman Lata, former Health Minister in 2012.
The notice was issued in a complaint filed by one Vivek Bharti stating that Lata had amassed wealth by misusing her official position and created immovable property disproportionate to her known sources of income. In the complaint, it was mentioned that Suman Lata Bhagat is the sole trustee of Bhagat Chajju Ram Charitable Trust created through an instrument of Trust Deed executed on October 24, 2005 by one Ganga Dutt, son of late Rishi Ram of Old Rehari with a corpus fund of just Rs 1 lakh. Issuing a notice against Lata, the SAC had said: "It seems that under the garb of running a trust, black money earned by use of unlawful means was being channelized by investing the same in the purchase of plots and lands."
The next allegation related to granting of Indian-made Foreign Liquor Licence (IMFL). It was alleged in the complaint that an excise license of IMFL was issued in the name of Neeraj Behal, son of Sooraj Prakash of Shastri Nagar, who happens to be the son of Suman Lata Bhagat, vide Excise Licence No. JKEL-6/Exc./4931-32 dated January 19, 2005, and the license and the land allotted to him by the District Industries Centre, Jammu measuring six kanal in Bari Brahmana area vide Reg No. 07/04/21922 (Prov) dated 08-02-2005 for establishing the IMFL unit, has been sold for approximately more than Rs 1 crore.
Another allegation was that she had encroached upon and purchased more than 400 kanal land out of which some land is in the name of her son Vikas Behl. The complainant had alleged that Lata conferred undue benefit upon the candidates by illegally nominating them for AMT Para-medical Course. The respondent in the capacity of Minister In charge, Health and Medical Education, nominated candidates much in excess of the permissible limit.
From the perusal of the income and expenditure statements for the period ending 31-3-2010 and the balance sheets thereof it transpired that a donation of Rs 1,80,000 was received by the Trust whereas the income of the Trust from Bank interest was Rs 13061. Out of the said amount of Rs 1,93,061, Rs 1,60,000 were spent for purchasing some land. From whom the said land was purchased, where the same is situated has not been disclosed and for what purpose it was purchased has also not been specified. Like-wise in the year ending 31st March, 2011 a donation of Rs 27,84400 has been shown. However, from the balance-sheet it transpired that another amount of Rs 4,930,700 was spent over the purchase of another piece of land. The balance sheet of the year 2011 indicated that a sum of Rs 5.00 lakh was taken on loan from M/s J.K. Associates and a sum of Rs 27.00 lakh from Guru Institute as un-secured loans. Interestingly, a Trust created with a corpus of just Rs 1 lakh in 2005 was able to purchase lands for more than half a crore.
SAC observed that the first allegation seems to be established prima facie that under the garb of running a trust black-money earned was being channelized by investing the same in the purchases of plots and lands. Whether the respondent used her position in the Government for obtaining the lease of the land for the Trust from JDA is another question.
Finding the allegations prima facie substantiated against Suman Lata Bhagat and justifying a regular inquiry in terms of Section 13 of the J&K Accountability Commission Act 2002, the Chairperson directed the office to register a complaint for regular inquiry.
The former chief minister Omar Abdullah on February 2014 on the floor of the house in Jammu stated that the government is investigating the matter and involved shall be brought to book. So far, there has been no action against the involved the case like hundreds of others is pending to be heard. |
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