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| VO efficiency gathers dust in secretariat files | | In several cases prosecution sanction awaited for years | |
Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Feb 24
Under the steadfast and unswerving stewardship of its Commissioner Dr Ashok Bhan, the officers of State Vigilance Organisation are seen making all efforts to translate the slogans of corruption-free system into reality but a demoralizing factor continues to haunt the organization as investigation files of many cases are gathering dust in the civil secretariat for want of sanction.
After cracking a high profile case of disproportionate assets running into several crores of rupees, a SVO official said, “out effort is that if hands are laid on a particular case it should reach logical conclusion, but unfortunately there is no matching response from the government”. Preferring not to be named, he said, in many instances the investigations have been completed, cases established but still sanction is awaited from the government. He pointed out that in dozens of such cases, the accused officers have even got promotions and preferential postings pending sanction of prosecution from the government.
Giving an example, he said, in case FIR number 13/2005-VOJ pertaining to illegal appointments in Local Bodies, the government sanction for prosecution is still awaited. This case involves, the then Director Local Bodies Mohinder Singh and 11 others. Mohinder Singh and six others are also involved in case FIR number 21/2006-VOJ pertaining to illegal appointments in Notified Area Committee Katra. Sanction in this case is also awaited.
Similarly, in case FIR number 1/2005 pertaining to misappropriation of huge amount drawn on account of rent in respect of land falsely shown under the occupation of defense authorities, the VO is yet to hear any thing from the government. This was a highly puboicised and sensational case as the land against which compensation was drawn was in Pakistani side. The case involved the then Tehsildar Nowshera Rajinder Singh and eight others. Interestingly, while the prosecution for sanction is still awaited, accused Tehsildar Rajinder Singh has got one promotion and posted at a mush sought after post of Assistant Commissioner, Revenue, Jammu.
The delay in prosecution sanctions is more perverse in case of cases registered in Kashmir province. For example, in case FIR number 26/2006-VOJ pertaining purchase of material on highly exorbitant rates in R&B Division Sopore, the accused officer Nazir Ahmad Shah was then an Executive Engineer and has now become the Chief Engineer.
Yet another high profile case from Kashmir division is against the politically powerful Forest officer, Hakim Mukhtiar Ahmed, the Range Forest Officer Handwara. He has remained close to two Forest Ministers –Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan and Sofi Ghulam Mohiuddin. He was booked under case FIR number 36/2005-VOK for acquisition of property disproportionate to known source of income. Sanction for prosecution is still awaited in his case.
The delay in prosecution sanction is turning out to be a demoralizing factor for the Vigilance officers. They try to make meticulous investigations to bring every case to logical conclusion but when files for sanction are sent to the secretariat it takes several years to return for further proceedings.
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