Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 5: With Election Commission of India touring the state to finalize the modalities for the conduct of Assembly and General elections in the state, the same old faces, many of whom are facing grave charges of corruption an misappropriation shall be fielded by their respective parties to be elected to the State Assembly or the parliament of India.
Sources claim that while Congress is trying to clean up its image by sacking many of its sitting legislators in other states who were facing charges of corruption, it is pity that many of its top leaders, many of whom are likely to contest in the forthcoming elections have cases of corruption pending against them in the state's watch dog agencies, but these cases have been swept under the carpet for years.
Cases against Ghulam Hassan Mir, Pirzada Mohammad Sayeed, Taj Mohiuddin, Abdul Ahad Vakil are under 'government investigation' for years and few for over a decade.
Besides, NC's former MLA from Reasi, Jagjeevan Lal had been booked by Jammu wing of SVO in a matter of disproportionate assets. Senior Congress leader and Minister of School Education, Pirzada Mohammad Sayeed, was named in a matter of swindling of money as then Minister of Rural Development along with then Director of Rural Development Department, Kashmir, Asgar Ali. After his forcible retirement from service on charges of corruption, Asgar Ali had joined PDP and even contested last Assembly elections, unsuccessfully.
Dogged by a controversy created by former MLA, Shoaib Lone, on account of his demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 40,000/- from the MLA's sister for recognition of an Elementary Education Training school, Pirzada had been forced to resign as Minister of School Education in Ghulam Nabi Azad's government in early 2008.
Another senior Congress leader and Minister of Irrigation & PHE Department, Taj Mohiuddin, as well as former Minister and sitting MLA, Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, are facing corruption-related charges in another matter in SAC since 2006. Present status: "Regular enquiry is pending. Proceedings stayed by Hon'ble High Court".
Former Minister and sitting PDP MLA, Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, former Minister of State for Health, Govind Ram Sharma, former PDP MLA and Minister, Tariq Hameed Qarra, former PDP MLA and Minister, Abdul Aziz Zargar, former Minister and sitting MLA, Abdul Majeed Wani besides former Ministers Mangat Ram Sharma, Dr Ramesh Kumar, Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir and Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi are others against whom cases are under investigation with SVO and SAC. The case against Ansari has been investigated by Crime Branch and it has been reported that challan was being produced in court shortly.
Crime Branch has also investigated two matters against former MLAs, Satpal and Prem Lal, while as SAC has held former PDP MLC and MLA Mohammad Sultan Panditpuri guilty and ordered his dismissal which was later stayed by High Court. |
