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| Of allegations, inquiries and clean chits in J&K | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Dec 21: Since nobody has been found guilty and punished over decades in Jammu and Kashmir, one would obviously find it hard to argue that commissions and inquiries are constituted in the State for upholding the rule of law and bringing culprits to justice. Secessionists call the jail their "second home". Still, very few of them like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have seen the interior of a jail.
On account of his protracted incarcerations, Shabir Shah used to call himself as "Nelson Mandela of Kashmir" until the day he crossed the age bar some years back. These days, Yasin Malik of JKLF is the only separatist "leader" who is arrested and detained 100 times a year but also released 101 times during the same period.
Among the mainstream politicians, the last names are Syama Prasad Mukherjee and the man who jailed him in 1948---Sheikh Abdullah. So there are no Suresh Kalmadis, Kani Morhis and Lalu Prasad Yadavs here.
Nobody really expects action against a politician, or even an official, when allegations are leveled and inquiries ordered. While some clean chits came after years of labour by judges and inquiry officers, others tumbled out of Delhi's cupboards without wait. The present regime has arguably broken all records of clean chits in the political establishment.
To begin with, allegations were raised through a mass movement that two young women were raped and killed by 'police or security forces' in Shopian. Police officers, including an SP, languished in jails. Government hired a senior lawyer from Supreme Court to ensure that they did not get bail. Months later, all the accused got a clean chit and were restored back to their postings and positions.
During the same year of 2009, PDP leader Muzaffar Baig dropped a bombshell in Assembly with his unsubstantiated allegation that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's and his father Farooq Abdullah's names had figured among the statements made during investigation of the Srinagar sex scandal of 2006. Chief Minister lost no time to resign but Delhi lost no time to come to his rescue with a clean chit. It was again accorded to him by Rahul Gandhi when the stone pelting saga was at its peak in September 2010 and over a hundred people had died in Police firing on the crowds.
Eighteen months back, media carried tons of stories about the Cricket Association scam. The association itself rushed to the Police Station and filed FIR. There were strong allegations of embezzlement of funds under the Cricket Association President Farooq Abdullah. The FIR is still "under investigation" and the clean chit is said to be in the printing process.
Among the Ministers, Peerzada Sayeed faced allegations of having misused his official position to help his foster son in an examination through unfair means. He was divested of his prize portfolio of School Education. Soon came the clean chit, though the portfolio was never returned to the Minister.
Ghulam Mohammad Saroori was removed as Minister of R&B when allegations were leveled against him that he had helped his daughter to write entrance examination for MBBS at Batra College fraudulently with the engagement of an impostor. The case was investigated by CBI. Finally, the charges were established against the daughter but the father, as usual, got the clean chit.
Congress Minister Taj Mohiuddin was entangled by his rivals in three or four scandals ranging between a land grabbing matter in Shopian to the bungling in PHE schemes. Inquiries and House Committees proceeded against him but the result obviously was a clean chit. He is continuing as Minister even as some clean chits are still in transit.
Former NC leader and now Speaker Mubarak Gul was accused of working simultaneously as a television production contractor and MLA besides Chief Minister's adviser. He got clean chit even before an inquiry was ordered.
Muzaffar Baig once alleged that Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had purchased orchards land worth crores of rupees in Chrar Sharif. A year later, Mr Baig apologized through media and withdrew his allegation when he was going to perform Hajj. And those of the politicians, who fail to get a clean chit from a court or commission of inquiry, rush to the higher forums of judiciary to secure a stay order. The number of such leaders runs into dozens if not scores.
Chief Minister himself got another clean chit when a commission of inquiry submitted report in the infamous Haji Yousuf "killing".
Finally, the young leader Sajjad Kichloo passed through a trauma for four months before getting clean chit even as Justice Gandhi reportedly needs two more months to complete the investigation.
If things continued this way, people of other States in India would soon call our State of Jammu and Kashmir as "Banana Republic of Commissions and Clean Chits". |
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