HP set to file challan against Dhumal

Bhanu P Lohumi

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 6

Decks have been cleared for filing of challan against former Chief Minister PK Dhumal in the retired IPS officer AN Sharma case with the law department concurring with former Governor Urmila Singh’s stand that no sanction was required to prosecute the BJP leader. Sharma was allowed to rejoin by the Dhumal government after his resignation was accepted.

The former Governor, while returning the file, had cited similar cases decided by the Supreme Court, including RS Nayak vs AR Antulay case, Parkash Singh Badal vs Punjab Government and Abhay Singh vs CBI cases, and viewed that prosecution sanction under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 was not required. After reviewing the case, the law department also expressed the same view.

The government will soon file a challan against Dhumal, Chief Secretary Ravi Dhingra, the then Home Secretary PC Kapoor and AN Sharma.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the challan would be filed soon and endorsed the view of the former Governor that no prosecution was required in the case.