Benefit to ex-IGP: Hearing against Dhumal deferred

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, March 27

The hearing against former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, former Chief Secretary Ravi Dhingra and retired Principal Secretary (Home) PC Kapoor for allegedly giving undue benefit to former Inspector General of Police (IGP) AN Sharma was today deferred for April 8.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had filed a challan against Dhumal, Dhingra and Kapoor for allegedly giving undue benefit to the former IGP by allowing him to continue in service after seeking retirement and not following proper procedure.

The matter was listed before the court of Special Judge for checking of records, during which certain shortcomings were found, as a result the court listed the matter for further hearing on April 8.

The FIR was registered under Sections 420, 120 (B) of the IPC and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the Vigilance Police Station on June 17, 2014. The complaint against AN Sharma, a 1989 IPS officer, regarding the grant of undue benefit during the previous BJP regime headed by Dhumal was investigated by Bureau’s Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The state government had also chargesheeted former Chief Secretary Ravi Dhingra and former Home Secretary PC Kapoor in the case.

The Bureau had filed a challan in the local court on March 14 in the case which relates to the retirement concession to Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, AN Sharma, who was IGP at that time in 2007.

The Special Investigation Team had charged Dhumal, Kapoor and Dhingra with misusing their public offices to facilitate the IG who had quit his job during the Assembly elections and later rejoined the office.

It was stated that Sharma had given a three-month notice to the state government as per rules for seeking retirement on December 31, 2007.

Even as his case was still being processed, he reportedly sought a waiver of a month and requested to be retired by November 21, 2007.

The government acceded to his request and granted him retirement. He had applied for the BJP ticket from Nadaun Assembly segment in Hamirpur failed to find favour from the BJP high command, who announced their list on November 26, 2007.

It was alleged that having failed to fulfil his political aspirations, Sharma then wrote a backdated letter with November 20, 2007 as date, requesting for the withdrawal of his retirement and the govern-ment allowed him to continue in service.