Apex court extends stay on Anurag’s trial for 2 months
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, January 30
The Supreme Court today extended till March 29 the stay on the trial of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) president Anurag Thakur for alleged irregularities in maintaining the Dharamsala stadium and its property.
A Bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and RK Agrawal also posted for March 29 the final hearing on the appeal of HPCA and Thakur seeking quashing of the FIR against them. The association and Thakur have come to the SC challenging the state high court’s refusal to quash the criminal case against them. The HC rejected their plea on April 25, 2014.
The appellants have contended that it was actually a civil dispute but the Congress government in the state had made it as a criminal case for political reasons.
Thakur pleaded that the case related to civil liability which could not converted into a criminal case against him, his father PK Dhumal and several IAS officers. Further, the HPCA was a no-profit making company and as such could not be prosecuted under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) meant for booking state-owned bodies and government officials.
The corruption case has been filed against Thakur and others in 2014 in the court of special judge of Kangra at Dharamsala. In its response to the SC notice, the state government has pleaded against quashing the case.
