SC rejects plea on quashing of case against Anurag

New Delhi, February 23

The Supreme Court today dismissed an appeal of Himachal Pradesh government challenging the high court verdict quashing a criminal case against HPCA chief and BJP MP Anurag Thakur on allegations of encroaching land to construct the Dharamsala cricket stadium.

“We do not see any ground to interfere with the impugned order. The special leave petition is accordingly dismissed,” a bench of Justices AK Goel and UU Lalit said.

The state government had approached the apex court against the August 2016 judgement of high court which had quashed the FIR lodged in April 2014 against Thakur, who is the chief of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), and others.

The state government had leased the land measuring 49,118.25 square metres to the HPCA to construct the stadium. Thakur and others were summoned as accused by the lower court in connection with the matter in 2015.

The high court had said though the accused were summoned, their roles were not specifically pointed out in commission of the alleged offence.

“What is stated in the FIR and challan is that the HPCA has illegally encroached upon the land of Education Department by raising construction of the stadium on some part and also raising boundary wall on it.

“There is neither any averment in the FIR, nor in the challan/charge sheet that the office-bearers of the HPCA have entered upon the property in possession of the Education Department with intent to commit an offence or to intimidate, insult or annoy or having entered legally upon such property, unlawfully remained there with intent to intimidate, insult or annoy any such person,” the high court had noted in its verdict. — PTI